Crazy Game
by kathiekay
Summary: With their years at Thompson behind them, Casey and Derek finally figure out how they really feel about each other. A few small fights, a summer apart, and one crazy night of poker leads to eventual Dasey a week before university. Futurefic.
1. Prologue: Graduation Night

**A/N: The prologue is intentionally short and is directly lifted from the final scene in "Futuritis." The prologue serves to set the scene for the rest of the story as it unfolds. Additionally, I don't own any rights to LwD ... and this is my first fanfic, so please be gentle if you choose to review. Thanks!**

"Hey, what are you doing up so late?" Derek looked up from his bowl of ice cream, course book in one hand, as Casey strode into the kitchen. She was in her PJs, golden-brown locks tied back into girlish pigtails, fresh-faced and giddy over her pending studies at Queen's University in the fall.

"Picking courses for next year. There are so many _amazing _classes …"

"I know! Women's literature, feminist theory …" Derek trailed off.

"Derek, you're only taking those to meet girls."

"Uh, yeah! But maybe I should just take the classes you're taking and then take all your notes." Derek forced his characteristic smirk as he spoke, hoping that Casey didn't see the briefest flash of longing pass over his face. Over the years, through all the very-real fights, the teenage dilemmas, and the times that they had laid aside their differences for a greater good, he had slowly fallen for her. At first, he had chalked it up to family bonding, but after several years of increasingly inappropriate thoughts, he couldn't deny it, even to himself: he loved Casey McDonald.

There was, of course, the minor issue that his father was married to her mother, so he had been forcing himself for months to maintain their relationship in the status quo. He tried everything—pranks, teasing, ignoring her, and, especially, dating other women. He even went so far as to start dating her best friend, Emily Davis, shortly before prom to avoid dealing with his true feelings. He knew that it would never last, but he figured that he could force himself to date her for a few months before she left for university in Toronto, before he left for Europe and left his life behind him. He figured that once there was an ocean between him and Emily, he could blame the distance for the inevitable failure of their relationship and he could maybe, finally begin to get over Casey. Casey, who had NO idea what had been going on in his head for months. His surprise acceptance into Queen's and her decision to take her scholarship put them back into an impossible situation: instead of an ocean between them, they were going to be sharing a campus, maybe a residence.

_Maybe a bed._ Derek chased the thought away, instead choosing to provoke Casey by threatening to date her sorority sisters and to be her best bud.

"Derek, you are the most annoying brother—"

"—STEP-brother—" Derek interjected.

Casey's eyes darted away and then back at Derek through lowered lashes. Steadying her gaze and with a small, tentative smile, she answered, "Same difference."

Derek stared her down for a second before answering, "Yeah. You're right." He let the words hang in the air. He kept his eyes locked on her, searching her face for some clue that she didn't mean what she said and that maybe she had fallen for him too. She gave another small smile, curling her bottom lip inward before glancing away. _That was the look! She's disappointed that I didn't argue with her! No, dude, this is Casey. She's not disappointed; she's probably thrilled that I said that she's right. I mean, that was definitely a sad look, but there's no way that had anything to do with this right now. She's probably just sad that she has to leave Ed, Lizzie, and Marti in August. That had nothing to do with me._

"Hey," Derek said, breaking his stare, "maybe we can live in the same residence." The moment of tension was gone, the cocksure grin returned to his face, and Casey rolled her eyes. "I'm living in an all-girls' residence."

"I know."


	2. Chapter 1: The Morning After

When Casey woke up the next morning, her eyes felt raw from the hour that she had spent crying the night before. After she and Derek went off to their respective bedrooms, she had collapsed onto her bed in a fit of frustration and angst. _It's like he doesn't even notice me!_ she silently screamed. _I spent two hours last night talking to him about hockey and the team at Queen's! I even pretended like I knew what he was talking about! And then, suddenly, he's all, _"Well, goodnight, Case,"_ and just lopes up the stairs to bed. I mean, what the hell? Did he suddenly just NOT want to talk to me? Am I that repulsive? Oh, wait, no, I'm just his sister. _It was in this frenzied state of mind that Casey had burst into tears and eventually cried herself to sleep.

Casey groaned and threw a pillow over her head. She didn't want to get up and face the rest of the family with red-rimmed eyes, but she was pretty much bursting and had to get up. She rolled over, glanced in one of the many mirrors lining her wall, made a disgruntled "Umph!" and raked a hand through her hair before throwing on her robe and making her way down the hall. She was reaching for the handle on the bathroom door when, suddenly, it swung open and she was face-to-startled-face with her brother. His eyes bugged for a second when he saw her—_oh, man, I must really look like a crazy freak!_—but instead of giving her some version of "Don't fall in" or "Good morning, Franken-sis" like he usually did, he quickly looked away and mumbled, "It's all yours."

_Weird_, Casey thought as she slid past him, taking care not to brush up against his torso. _I wonder what got into him. It's not like he's torn up about leaving home. He was so excited last night about going away, and all that stuff about sharing a residence and dating my sorority sisters? Please, like he would ever want to do that. Well, the sorority, definitely. Sharing a residence? Absolutely not. Unless, of course, he was just bored and needed someone to prank._

Casey's mind swirled her thoughts around as she finished up in the bathroom and made her way downstairs for breakfast. Derek was sitting at the island in the kitchen munching on a bowl of cereal, back hunched over and head down. He clearly didn't want to be disturbed, and the entire family was steering clear of him. Even Marti, who liked to share her breakfast with her favorite brother, was giving him a wide berth. Whatever it was, no one in the McDonald-Venturi residence wanted to find out.

Casey, a little confused, gave him a quizzical glance before turning to pour herself a glass of orange juice and to grab a whole-wheat bagel for the toaster. Wasn't she supposed to be the one hurting here? Wasn't he the one that agreed that they were nothing but siblings, crushing her fantasies? _You know, it doesn't matter anyway. He's dating Emily, I'm dating Truman, and we're all going to Sam's together tonight for our graduation party._

As if on cue, Casey's cell phone began to ring, and Emily's number flashed onto the screen.

"Hello?"

"Casey. We have an emergency. I have NOTHING to wear tonight for Sam's!"

"Oh, um …" Casey's voiced trailed off. "Do you want to borrow something?"

"What? No. I want to go shopping. Do you want to go? Let's go. Can you be ready in 20 minutes?" Hysteria had started to creep into Emily's voice.

"Whoa, Em, slow down! I'm still in my pajamas. Give me an hour, OK?"

"Casey. It's almost noon. Why are you still in your pajamas? Are you OK? Oh, my gosh, it's Truman, isn't it? Did he do something slimy again? I swear, I'm going to kill that guy …"

"No, it's not. Derek and I were just up late talking about university. He got into Queen's, didn't he tell you?" Derek's head popped up from over his cereal, and he started frantically shaking his head, shaggy hair flopping everywhere.

"Um, no, he didn't. When did he find out?"

Derek was still shaking his head, mouthing "no" and waving his arms.

"Um … I don't know, Em, you two are going to have to talk about that." Derek rolled his eyes and stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing his cereal bowl angrily as he exited. "Anyway," Casey said, returning to the matter at hand, "I can't be ready in 20 minutes to go shopping. Give me an hour and I'll meet you at yours."

"Look, Casey, if Derek is going to Kingston for university, then it's doubly important that I make this shopping trip. Make it 30 minutes."

"Em, I need more time. Forty-five?"

Emily sighed, "Fine, but don't be late!"

Casey hung up the phone and started to butter her bagel. Derek, who had heard her end the call, stormed back into the kitchen. "Why'd you have to go and tell her that for?"

"What? You're going to Queen's in the fall! That's kind of a huge deal. How is it MY fault that you haven't told her yet?"

"It's—not—I just wanted to tell her myself." Derek sighed. "Now it's going to be this big deal that I didn't tell her since it kind of changes my plans."

"_Your_ plans?"

"Our plans. Whatever. The point is, Case, that it wasn't your place to tell her, and now I have to go have some big huge talk with her, and I'm really not in the mood for it."

"Well, I'm sorry that you didn't tell your girlfriend"—_emphasis on the "girlfriend"_—"that vital piece of information, but she's my best friend, and I thought she ought to know." Irritation and defensiveness were starting to leak into Casey's voice. "And now she does. So you figure out how you're going to smooth things over with her before tonight. I'm going to take a shower, _bro_."

Casey flounced out of the room, bagel forgotten. Derek called after her, "Try not to ruin anything else for me today!"


	3. Chapter 2: How to Lose a Girl

**A/N: This chapter is a little rough. I had some trouble transitioning into Derek's POV, so any constructive criticism is welcome. Also, if/when you do review, how's the pace? I know where I want to go with this, but please let me know if it's moving too slowly. Thanks, and enjoy!**

**P.S. THANKS for the great reviews so far!  
**

_Stupid Casey._

Derek was lying on his bed with his hands locked behind his head, staring at the ceiling. _I can't believe that she told Emily about Queen's. Now I'm going to have to figure out what to do about her. Clearly, I can't keep dating her, but I can't break up with her now either. It's going to have to be at the end of summer before we leave for university. Great—two more months of pretending to fall for Emily. _

Derek sighed and flopped over when Edwin burst into his room. "What do you want, Ed?" Derek asked.

"Derek, I need your help. Word got out that I've already been suspended from Thompson, and now all these girls think I'm you reincarnate and are calling me for dates. The thing is, I don't know how to choose! Do I pick just one or do I play the field? Mentor me, O Great D-Vent!"

Derek didn't turn over. "Look, Ed, now isn't really a good time. I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"It doesn't look like you are. What is it?" Edwin looked at his older brother with a probing interest. Derek was usually a little more helpful in these situations; this moodiness only struck him when he had an attack of conscience or … "Wait, there's a girl! Who is she? Is she a babe? And what about Emily?" Edwin started peppering Derek with questions. "Uh oh, this isn't the same thing that happened with Sally, is it? But … Emily is just going to Toronto for university. And you're going to Kingston. It's only a three-hour drive."

Derek sat up. "Ed, get out. I don't want to talk about it." He flopped back down.

"OK, fine. I'm going."

With Edwin out of his room, Derek was free to return to his brooding. _Sooo … now what? Right, breaking up with Emily. At the end of the summer. After a whole summer of swimsuits and sun and … Casey. Crap._

Derek flopped on to his other side. _I suppose I could work this out. I mean, all I have to do is avoid Emily as much as possible, and when I can't avoid her, just pretend she's Casey. That should be easy enough, right? No, that's so wrong._

Just then, there was a small knock at the door. "Derek?"

"Yeah, Smarti, whaddya want?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Derek got up and opened the door.

"Are you OK? Edwin said that you were acting weird again. Like weirder than you did when Sally left."

"No, Smarti, I'm fine. I just had to figure something out. And I did, so now I'm fine."

"Derek?"

"Yeah, Smarti."

"You just said 'fine' twice. Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Derek groaned internally. As much as he loved his baby sister, she really could be a pain in the ass sometimes. _And if she asks too many questions, she's going to figure out what's going on._

"OK, Derek, I believe you. But Derek?"

"Yeah, Smarti."

"I don't want you to date Emily anymore. Now Dimi thinks that I should play with him all the time, and I don't wanna."

"Um, OK, Smarti, I'll take it under consideration."

"Thanks, Derek. Bye!" Marti left the room.

_Finally._ Derek sat down on the bed and put his hands over his face. After a few seconds, he rubbed his eyes and clasped his hands together. _ Right. Sam's party tonight. Time for Crazy Legs Venturi to make an appearance._


	4. Chapter 3: PrettyPretty

"So, Case, when did he find out that Derek was going to Queen's, exactly?" Emily and Casey were in the fitting rooms at Pretty/Pretty, trying on dresses and dissecting Derek's reasons for not telling Emily why he was going to Queen's. Well, Emily was dissecting and Casey was trying as hard as she could not to let her irritation show through. She had wanted to go shopping to get _away_ from Derek, and it seemed as if he was just always in her face. _Oh, well, I guess this is what happens when your best friend is dating your stepbrother. Brother. Whatever._

"I don't know, Em. He announced it over dinner last night to the entire family at the same time that I said I was going. We were both kind of shocked, especially because he was going to Europe and I was planning on staying in London and going to Western. But, here we are, going to the same university. God, I just can't get away from him!"

"You're so lucky," Emily sighed. "Look, I know he's your annoying stepbrother and you probably never want to see him there, but can you at least check in on him for me? Please? Just to make sure that he's not cheating on me or something. I mean, not that I think that Derek ever WOULD cheat on me …" Emily continued to ramble while Casey drifted into conversation with herself. _Ha, me check up on Derek for Emily. I would NEVER do that. Well, I guess I could do it, but just for Emily! I'll only go for Emily, not for any other reason. I don't want to see him, ever, while we're at school. I'll see him enough at home, when we make it home. And I'll have to put up with him then. UGH, I just wanted to be DONE with Derek! If he wants nothing to do with me, I want nothing to do with him. But if there was only some way to show him that I'm not just a sister to him …_

"Case? Hello, Earth to Casey!"

Casey snapped out of her reverie and turned to face Emily. "Oh, um, what, Em?"

"What's going on with you? I asked you five times if you liked this on me." Emily was wearing a short dress in a shocking shade of coral. Against her dark skin, the color really popped and made her look stunning. Paired with her straightened hair, she was a real knockout.

"Em, I'm sorry, I'm just in my own head. That outfit looks great on you."

"You think so? "

"Yeah, I really do."

"Aww, thanks, Case! Do you think Derek will like it?"

"He'd have to be blind not to." _And we all know my BROTHER isn't blind when it comes to girls._

"Good. Do you think he'll like these to go with them?" Emily held up a pair of lacy white panties. She grinned mischieviously.

"Em! WHAT are those?"

"They're for later tonight." Emily winked and blushed just a little, clearly indicating what she was planning for later that evening.

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! _Casey silently shrieked, turning a faint shade of pink when she thought of her brother and her best friend in the inevitable compromising position.

"Um, no, I didn't know that! Can you please not share that kind of stuff with me?"

"But Casey, you're my best friend. If I can't share it with you, who can I share it with?"

"I don't know, but not me. He's my brother, Emily, and I don't want to think of him like that."

"Well, then, don't. Just make sure you and Truman ride in a separate car tonight, OK? We might be leaving Sam's early."

"Oh, my God, Em, I don't need to hear that!"

"OK, OK, fine, but you DO need to pick out a dress. I like that one on you."

_Great. Looking hot for Truman. SO high on my list of things to do._ Casey slipped into her own world again. _I have GOT to get rid of that guy. Hey, I wonder if Icky Vicki can come into town tonight!_


	5. Chapter 4: Don't Mention It

Casey arrived home and was instantly pounced on by Derek. "What did you two ladies talk about during your shopping trip, huh?" he asked. He was trying to hide his anxiety, but some of the tension slipped into his voice near the end of the sentence.

"It's none of your business, Derek. Get out of my way." Casey tried to push past him, but he caught her by her right wrist and spun her around.

"Well, it IS my business if you told her anything else about university, Case. So, tell me, what did you talk about?" He had pulled Casey a little bit closer to him than was necessary, and he could feel a light heat radiating off her body. Her mango shampoo swirled about him, and he inhaled deeply, quietly, letting her essence wash over him.

"Nothing, OK, just about our dresses and what we're going to do all summer. Work, obviously. Oh, and we want to go to Wasaga Beach next weekend. Emily's going to ask you about it tonight. Do me a favor and say you're busy."

"That's it? You guys didn't talk about me?" He was relieved, a little, but more disappointed that she obviously didn't think that he was important enough to talk about.

"No, Derek, we didn't. We do have more important things to talk about than you, you know. Now, get out of my way!" She turned around and started to make her way up the stairs.

"What, like clothes?" Derek reached into Casey's shopping bag and started pulling out her purchases one by one. "Ooh, this is nice, is this your dress for tonight?" _It would look TOTALLY hot on you_, he thought.

"De-REK! Give it back!" Casey shrieked.

"How about this one?" Derek's hand dipped into the bag again. "This one's nice too, if you plan on showing off your man-shoulders." Derek held the dress up to himself and wiggled suggestively. _And your gorgeous legs._

"I'm serious, give me my stuff back!" Casey tried to grab the bag from him, but he deftly moved it away from her while reaching in again.

"How about this?" Derek pulled a garment out of the bag, saw what he had touched, and dropped it like a hot piece of coal. "WHAT was THAT?" _Oh, my gosh, I just touched Casey's panties! I mean, it's not like I haven't touched them before … when taking her clothes out of the washer to clean my hockey gear … but … wow. WOW. _

Casey flushed deeply and snatched her bag back from him. "THAT was women's underwear."

"Casey, that wasn't underwear, that was … I don't know what that was. Something that a sister shouldn't be wearing." _That was HOT, is what it was. _Derek felt himself starting to sweat a little and took a step back from Casey. He knew that he couldn't be this close to her when his thoughts were racing a mile a minute and his blood was pumping erratically through his veins.

"Well, you know what? Your sister WILL be wearing it tonight to Sam's party while she's on a date with her boyfriend. That's right, remember Truman? He's coming with us."

_Right, Truman,_ Derek though bitterly. _Well, I hope she doesn't have any plans for him. That cousin-kissing slime isn't going anywhere near her. She may have forgiven him, but I haven't._ Derek silently handed her the bag with her belongings.

"Thank you, Derek. Now, please move." Derek stepped silently to the side and let Casey pass.

_I'll make sure that she doesn't get a chance to get him alone tonight. I swear on my life I won't. Hey, I wonder if Icky Vicki can come into town tonight!_


	6. Chapter 5: The Phone Call

_Yes, he found them!_ Casey was ecstatic as she bounded up to her room. _Now he knows I have them … who am I kidding? Derek knows I wear underwear. He knows I have sexy underwear. There's no way he figured out that those were for him. He … oh, my GOSH, he must have thought they were for TRUMAN. Well, technically, he'd be right … they're for getting rid of Truman._

Casey groaned out loud when she realized what she was about to do: call her smarmy cousin Vicki and invite her to Sam's graduation party, get Vicki near Truman, and pretend to throw a huge fit when he inevitably kisses her. Or she kisses him. Whatever. _And, if all else fails, dump him without a good reason. God, if only I could fill Vicki in on the plan. If she wasn't such a huge jerk, she would just help me. But no, if she even gets the slightest sense that I don't want Truman anymore, then she'll do everything she can to make sure that I CAN'T break it off with him. Except I know she still has a thing for him … think she'd help? No. No way._

Casey felt a dull ache in her stomach as she picked up the house phone to dial Vicki. As she held the receiver to her ear, she could hear Derek's voice on the line.

"Derek, get off the phone!"

"Hold on a sec, Vicki." Derek's voice crackled on the line.

_Vicki?!_ Casey thought._ He can't POSSIBLY mean Icky Vicki._

Yet, the voice on the line replying, "Sure thing, Derek," WAS Vicki's.

_WHAT is he doing on the phone with her? Did he know I was going to invite her? Is he trying to screw up my night. Ohhhhh …._

Casey burst into Derek's room. "De-REK! WHY are you on the phone with MY cousin Vicki?"

"I thought she might want to come to Sam's tonight. It's going to be a sweet party, and honestly, Sam's kind of lonely. I thought he might want to take a shot at your cousin." Derek grinned smugly.

"Are you kidding me? Vicki? And Sam? Dear, sweet Sam and … Icky Vicki?" Even though the thought of Derek trying to hook up Sam and Vicki was repulsive to her, she was a little relieved that she didn't have to make that call herself. Amazingly enough, Derek saved her from having to talk to her least-favorite relative. _Plus,_ Casey thought,_ once Vicki sees Truman, she'll forget about Sam. I know her—she still wants Truman, and he and Sam are nothing alike._

"Um, Derek, can you tell Casey that I can hear her?" Vicki's voice sounded tinny coming through the receiver.

"Case, Vix can hear you, so you might want to tone it down a bit."

"Whatever, Derek. Just tell her that if she comes, she's not staying in my room."

"Sweet, so she's staying in mine?"

"Um, hello, Emily? She'll kill you."

"Right, Emily. No, don't worry, she can stay in Lizzie's room."

Lizzie happened to be walking by Derek's room at that moment and overheard. "Who can stay in my room?"

"Vicki. She's coming into town tonight for Sam's party," Derek said.

"No, she can NOT stay in my room!" Lizzie was indignant. "You want to invite her, whatever, but you two figure out where she's going to stay." She stomped off.

"OK, Liz!" Derek shouted after her.

"Anyway, Vicki," Derek said into the phone, shooing Casey out of his room, "when do you think you can make it into town?"


	7. Chapter 6: Party Time, Excellent!

**A/N: This chapter is a little short, but I needed to switch back to Casey's POV in the next segment. Trust me ... the Dasey moments are coming!**

The doorbell rang, and Derek rushed over to open it. "Vicki! Come on in. SO glad you could make it. I mean, this party is going to be off the HOOK." Derek was a little overenthusiastic, a fact that didn't escape Vicki.

"Why are you so excited to have me here, Derek? The last time you saw me, you made it pretty clear that I was persona non grata in your life. So what gives?"

"Um …" Derek wracked his brain and decided to go with the same story he gave Casey. "My buddy Sam is the one throwing this shindig, and he's been a little lonely lately. All the talent at Thompson is currently unavailable, so I thought I'd help him out by bringing in an import." He grinned, faintly, hoping that she would believe him.

"Your buddy Sam, eh?

"Yup. Sam-MY! He's my boy, though, so go easy on him."

"Right, Derek, you're so full of it. There's something else going on, and I'm going to figure it out before the end of the night. But, until then, where's my dear cousin Casey?"

Just then, Casey came down the stairs wearing one of her newly-acquired dresses. She had chosen the first one, a royal-blue silk sheath that hugged her curves, displayed some serious leg acreage, and made her eyes positively pop. It took Derek all he had not to let out a whistle when she came into view.

_Oh, my gosh, she looks AMAZING,_ Derek thought._ How am I going to keep my eyes off of her tonight? Or my hands, for that matter? Oh, for the love, PLEASE don't tell me that she's wearing all of that for Truman._

"Vicki." Casey's voice broke into Derek's thoughts.

"Casey."

"How was your drive from Toronto?"

"Wait, Case, that's it? The last time you see me, I'm kissing your boyfriend, and now it's all friendly small talk? What is going on with you two? You're both acting SO weird."

Derek, seeing that this situation could only go south, and fast, interrupted. "Hey, ladies, we should probably get going if we're going to make it to Sam's on time. Come on, let's go get Emily."

"OK, Derek." Casey agreed, and rather quickly.

"Seriously? OK, you guys are up to something, and I'm SO going to figure it out. But, while we're on the topic—or, were on the topic—how IS Truman, Casey? I guess you finally forgave him?"

"Yeah, I suppose I did. He redeemed himself."

_Yeah, right_,Derek thought as he rolled his eyes. _He made a lame attempt to apologize AFTER he pretty much screwed everything up._

"Redeemed himself, huh? What did he do, show up on your doorstep in a tux or something?" Vicki's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Actually, yes, he did. And he IS my boyfriend again, so keep your lips to yourself tonight." Casey spun and headed toward the Prince.

"We'll see, cuz." Vicki followed.

_This is great!_ Derek was excited._ Vicki will be all over Truman, Casey will get upset, and then I can step in and play the hero again and take her home. Vicki can just get a ride from Truman or stay elsewhere, and best of all? I think Casey bought my whole Sam-and-Vicki act. Vicki, not so much, but I'm not trying to convince her. It's all about Casey from here on out._

Derek followed the girls, closing the door behind him.


	8. Chapter 7: Sam's Club

**A/N: Taking into consideration the reviews (thanks!), I've made this chapter a tad longer. I'm aiming for about 1,000 words/chapter now ... we'll see what happens. I'm a few chapters ahead of what's posted, so I may take a break for the next few days and do some revisions. If that's the case, posting will be on hiatus until I get them a little more polished. Enjoy!  
**

The music at Sam's was pounding, and the throng of people was pulsing to the beat. Mild-mannered Sam had put together a kicking party, and as soon as Derek, Casey, Emily, and Vicki walked in, the crowd enveloped them.

"Sam, this is SWEET!" Derek shouted when they found his best friend.

"Thanks, man! Hey, Casey, Emily." Sam nodded his head in their direction and then extended his hand to Vicki. "I don't think we've met. I'm Sam."

"Hi, Sam, I'm Vicki, Casey's cousin from Toronto."

"Well, hi, Vicki, Casey's cousin from Toronto. What brings you here tonight?"

"Derek told me that there was going to be this amazing party thrown by his really cute best friend. So far, 2 for 2."

Sam blushed a little. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I'd love one, thanks. Wow, this band is great. Who are they?"

"Two Left. I love them."

"Well, they're awesome. How about that drink, and then maybe I can have a tour?" Vicki put her hand lightly on Sam's right forearm.

He blushed again. "Sure, let's go."  
_  
No! _Casey thought. _ She was supposed to try to get on Truman! Speaking of, where is he?_

Suddenly, Casey felt a pair of thin arms snake around her torso and a hot voice on her ear. "Hi, Casey, miss me?"

Casey turned around into the weasel-like face of her so-called beau._ Great, now I have to fake this. "_Oh, hi, Truman, of course I missed you." She leaned in for a small peck, but pulled away before he could take it any further. "Wanna go dance? Let's go dance." She grabbed his hand before he could answer and led him onto the makeshift dance floor in the middle of Sam's garden.

As the music flowed through the crowd, Casey absentmindedly moved to the beat, swiveling her hips and rolling her body. _I wonder where Vicki is. Oh, she better not be doing anything with Sam right now. I swear, I can NOT count on that girl. I fully expected her to beeline to Truman … ugh, Truman. _She took care not to make too much contact with him, despite his best efforts to butt his body up against hers._ I already need to ditch him for a minute. Right after this song, so he doesn't get suspicious._

"Hey, Truman, I need a drink. I'll be right back." Casey shouted over the pounding rhythm a few minutes later.

"What did you say?" Truman cupped his hand to his left ear and leaned into Casey's personal space.

She instinctively leaned back and said, "I'm going—never mind, I'll be right back," and she darted off before Truman had a chance to stop her.

_Where IS Vicki? _While she was pouring her beverage, Casey was scanning the crowd, looking for her cousin._ Nowhere to be found. I'm just going to go look for her._

Casey set off into the house, wading through people and inspecting every face for Vicki's._ Nowhere. I wonder if she went upstairs? _Casey continued up the staircase to the bedrooms. Two of the rooms had open doors; the other two were shut tightly._ She's in one of those rooms, I can feel it! But … I can't bust her for doing something that she's technically allowed to do … or supposed to be doing … whatever. I'll just say I was looking for the bathroom. She won't know that I knew exactly where it is, and Sam will probably be too flustered._

Casey grabbed one of the knobs and threw the door open. At first, she could see nothing but limbs and hair partially hidden by a pile of jackets. She threw out a half-hearted "Oh, sorry" while scrutinizing the tangle, looking for Vicki. Then …_ Wait. No. Coral._

"Emily!"

"Casey!" Derek and Emily said her name at the same time. Derek scurried off Emily as fast as he could, adjusting himself as he rose to a standing position. "Um, what are you doing in here, Case? We're kinda … BUSY."

"I was looking for Vicki, Derek. She went off with Sam, and now I can't find her. Um, sorry for interrupting …" Casey pulled the door closed behind her and buried her face in her hands.

_Oh, ew ew ew ew EW! I'm never going to be able to get that mental picture out of my head! I can't believe I just walked in on Derek and Emily. Oh, this is bad. Very bad. At least they were still dressed. Thank goodness for small favors. And maybe I killed the mood? _That thought cheered Casey as she descended the stairs. _ I better get back to Truman. He's probably wondering where I am._

Casey went back out into the garden and scanned the dance floor for Truman. She had left him there; where was he now? _Great, now I lost him too. Way to go, Spacey. Ugh, nothing is going right tonight!_

"Casey, have you seen Vicki?" Sam asked, shaking Casey from her internal monologue. He looked a little crestfallen.

"No, I was just looking for her too. Why, what's up?"

"Well, I was giving her the house tour, and she asked to use the toilet upstairs. I walked down the hall to give her a little privacy, and when I went back to check on her, she was gone. I don't get it—one minute, she was all over me, and the next, poof!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sam. I know Derek asked her to come here for you. He thought you might get along." _ Like oil and water. But it's not like you were going to get anywhere with her, if I had anything to do with it._

"That's OK. I should probably pay attention to things down here anyway." Sam's head snapped around at the sound of glass breaking. "Like that. I better go see what that was," and he dashed off.

_Back to my stupid cousin Vicki and her stupid, plan-ruining ways, _Casey thought. She moved to the edge of the garden, along the back hedges, keeping her eyes open for any movement. Sam had a secluded pocket in the back of the yard, and the small bench back there was perfect for talking. If anything, Casey could sit and gather her thoughts before setting off to find Vicki and Truman again.

Casey rounded the corner of one of the perfectly-trimmed hedges and saw what she had been waiting for: Truman and Vicki, necking. His hand up her shirt and her leg hitched around his hip. Casey gave a small, devilish grin.  
_  
Showtime.  
_


	9. Chapter 8: Girl Fight!

Derek's head popped up. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Emily's voice was slightly muffled by Derek's chest.

"That screaming. It sounded like Casey." _Finally, Vicki comes through._

"Derek, do we really have to go check on her? Isn't Sam down there? Or Ralph? Or, you know, Truman? He's Casey's boyfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, they are, but I'm her stepbrother and you're her best friend, so we should probably go see what's happening. Besides, if Vicki's involved, Truman's probably involved." Derek paused and smirked. "Plus, there could be a girl fight." _Oh, I HOPE there's a girl fight! Casey is fierce; she can totally take Vicki. And it will be SMOKIN'!_

Emily smacked Derek on the arm. "Are you kidding me? You would rather leave here—now—to go see a potential girl fight between your sister and her cousin?"

"Stepsister. And yes." Emily's face fell. "No, no, no, not because I want to leave YOU here, now" _--no, that really is part of it—_"but because that was definitely Casey, and she sounded pretty mad." _Besides, _Derek thought,_ I can only do this for so much longer before I give in to her, and I really don't want to go there. That'll just complicate … everything._

Derek got up and checked himself—_Hockey, hockey, hockey … Margaret Thatcher naked … OK, good_—before dashing down the stairs to go rescue Casey from the inevitable scene between her and Vicki.

_I hope Vicki stepped it up and made her move,_ Derek thought. _She is such a slush, and Truman? Lizzie said it best: he's a cad. I hope this worked!_

Derek followed Casey's increasingly shrill voice until he saw her in the back of the garden, screaming at Truman and Vicki and turning a delicate shade of lobster.

"And you, Truman, cheating on me AGAIN. At ANOTHER party. With my cousin. AGAIN. How could you?" Derek walked in on the last part of Casey's tirade and sidled up behind her.

"Hey, Casey, what's going on down here?"

"What's going on, Derek, is that I just caught my dear cousin Vicki kissing my boyfriend Truman. AGAIN." Casey was trembling with anger.

_YES!_ Derek tried to hide his excitement. _I probably need to look more appalled and upset about this … maybe protective …_ Derek rearranged his facial features to appear upset on Casey's behalf. _That should do it._

Truman started, "Casey, I'm really sorry, she just kind of launched herself at me …"

"Oh, you liar, don't even try to deny it this time," Vicki interjected. "You came on to me. You kissed me. You suggested that we sneak off and have some real fun. I'm not complaining—Derek and Casey are acting weird anyway—but don't try to blame me for this."

"Vicki, are you kidding me? First Nick, now Truman? Twice? Will it ever stop? Can I ever date someone without you taking him away from me?" Tears threatened to spill out of Casey's eyes.

_If she dated me, she would have to be scared of that. Been there, done that, never going back._ Derek fought back the emotion bubbling under the surface. Even if he could let Casey know how he felt, here, like this, was not the way to do it. He was Derek Venturi, for crying out loud. Man's man, ladies' man, hockey stud. _I'm not some mushball that professes his love in public venues._

"Hey, Case, I don't know why I'm really here, besides Derek inviting me, and I'm still trying to figure that one out. But since I AM here, I figured that I'd have some real fun, and it's not my fault that all the Thompson guys are losers." A wave of indignation rippled through the crowd. "So I'm here, and trying to make the most of this super-weird night. Oh, and don't blame me for any of this. Truman—your boyfriend, remember?--came on to me."

At that, Casey launched herself at Vicki with such force that it knocked both of them into the pond and under the water. When they emerged, spluttering, Casey had a fistful of Vicki's hair and a mouthful of words dirtier than Derek's hockey equipment. The crowd started to chant, "Fight, fight, fight!" and Truman just looked on, slightly shocked that he had indirectly caused this scene.

"Derek, you have to help me stop this!" Sam was at his side.

"Yeah, Derek, you have to help Sam stop this! That's Casey in there!" Emily was clinging to his other side.

_I know that's Casey in there! She needs to stay! Go Casey!_

"Dude, are you serious? You have a girl fight in your pond with two really hot girls! This is the best graduation party ever!" Derek didn't take his eyes off Casey, gleaming in the moonlight, exuding a ferocity that he didn't think was possible. _If it wasn't for the fact that she's fighting Vicki for _Truman_, this would be better than those old videos of Dad's that I found._ Derek laughed silently._ It's still pretty awesome._

Sam spoke. "Um, dude? One of those 'hot girls' is your sister, and it looks like she's about to get punched."

Sam was right—Vicki was winding up to sucker punch Casey in the mouth.

"No!" Derek tackled Casey and knocked her out of the way, sending Vicki facedown into the water. The crowd murmured variations of "Did _Derek Venturi_ just break up a _girl fight_?" Derek was on top of Casey in the water, and she was looking up at him with … what? Admiration? Gratitude? Longing? _Nope, that's still just anger. She's pretty pissed at Vicki right now. _The sight of her with her hair damp and mussed, her dress sopping and clinging to every part of her aroused in Derek intense protection and desire, and suddenly, he had to get off of her.

Derek leapt off of Casey, who was still flinging profanities at Vicki. Vicki, hair hanging in her face, returned most of Casey's insults with some form of "you're a goody-two-shoes who could never satisfy a boyfriend." The girls were still kicking and flailing their arms, but Truman had regained his senses enough to hold Vicki back, and Derek, Casey.

Sam appeared with towels for Casey, Derek, and Vicki. "Here, Casey, let me give you a hand." He wrapped one of them around her and handed one to Derek. "Here you go, D." The third, Sam just left on the pavement.

"Thanks, man. Come on, Case, let's get out of here." Derek relaxed his hold on Casey's arms, took her by the hand and led her out of the pond. Truman made a feeble attempt to catch Casey by the elbow, but she shook him off and walked away. A few steps later, she seemed to change her mind.

Casey stopped, turned around, and said loudly, confidence ringing in her voice. "Truman, in case you haven't figured it out, we're OVER."

_Mission accomplished_, thought Derek.


	10. Chapter 9: Control Freaks

**A/N: So the girl fight went over well, huh? I thought it might. Keep reading for the upcoming Dasey moment ... and thanks for all the reviews!  
**

_Mission accomplished,_ thought Casey, showered and warm in her pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers. After the insanity of the evening, she was looking forward to relaxing for the rest of the night. Vicki had chosen to drive back to Toronto, stating that she didn't want to spend a minute longer with the "public-school keener freaks," and Casey was happy to let her go. She was thrilled that her plan had worked so perfectly, but spending time with Vicki always sapped her energy, and she just wasn't in the mood for it anymore.

_I'm in the mood for … well, a lot of things right now. But I think popcorn will have to do right now. And maybe a girl movie. And I bet Derek is downstairs watching television, so we'll have to argue it out._

Casey padded downstairs, hair piled messily on her head. A girl movie was definitely out—as predicted, Derek was watching TV, an old Leafs game. He was lounging languidly in his recliner, left arm thrown over his forehead and clicker in his right hand. He was dressed for bed, and his hair was gently tousled.

_Oh, wow, look at him, he's so good-looking,_ Casey thought. _I'm never going to be able to get over him, am I? University is going to be torture. We're going to have all this time together … wait, no. No, we won't. Because he's Derek, and he's going to be playing hockey and hitting on sorority girls, and I'm only going to see him when I check on him for Emily. Or if he needs help with his classes._ Casey sighed, loudly.

Derek turned slightly to see who had joined him. "Spacey."

"Hey, Derek, how's the game?" '_How's the game?!' It's an old game! He knows how it ends … he's going to see right through that. Dummy._

"It's good. The Leafs win. So, that was some fight you got into tonight. If it wasn't you and Vicki fighting, it would have been HOT." Derek grinned and nodded gently.

"_Hot"? Did he just call me "hot"? No, he said it would have been hot if it WASN'T Vicki and me. Which means that he thinks that I'm not hot. A hot mess, maybe. I know I was supposed to be fighting with Vicki, but did I take it too far by knocking her into the pond? It was kind of embarrassing._

"I know, right? I can't believe that I tackled Vicki straight into the pond. At least everyone now knows what scum Truman French is. And they know I'm not with him anymore. So, I guess I'm a free woman for the rest of the summer!" Casey was trying not to show how excited she was, but her enthusiasm was thinly veiled. _I wonder if he saw through that?_

"I guess you are." Derek's eyes drifted back to the television. "So now what?"

"What do you mean?" Casey's heart rate quickened, and she could hear her pulse in her ears. _I can think of all kinds if things …_

"What now about the summer, Case. What are you going to do?"

"Oh." _Damn. _"Well, like I said earlier, Emily and I are going to Wasaga next weekend—"

"—Oh, right." Derek cut her off and turned towards her. "She asked me about that tonight. I'm going."

"What? I thought I asked you to tell her that you couldn't go! I really just wanted a girls' weekend, and now I need one more than ever!" As Casey was pitching her fit, she observed Derek to see if he was buying her lines. She barely believed her own words, but she knew that she had to keep up the pretense of being annoyed by his every move if she didn't want him to figure out what was really going on in her head.

"First, you didn't ask me, you told me. Second, Emily is my girlfriend and I want to spend some time with her." _Right, of course he wants to spend time with Emily. His girlfriend. My best friend._

Derek continued, "Third, we all knew Truman was an ass, and you deserve no sympathy for letting that douche back into your life." Derek turned his full attention back to the television.

"Derek! You're the one that brought him back into my life!"

"I know. But you let him stay. At least I helped you get him out of your life too." Derek smirked.

Casey felt herself blush a little. "Whatever, I did that by myself. But, I never did thank you for knocking me out of the way before Vicki punched me."

"Nope, you sure didn't."

"Well, thanks, Derek." She felt herself blush hotter at the memory of Derek hovering over her in the pond. The chill of the water had immediately disappeared, and all she could feel was a comfortable warmth spreading from her stomach throughout her body. When he had jumped off of her, the chill had hit her again with force, and she was immeasurably grateful to Sam for showing up with towels when he did.

"You're welcome." Derek focused his attention back on the game.

"Derek?"

"What?"

"I was thinking that we could watch a movie. _The Princess Diaries_ is on CBC." Casey didn't really want to watch the movie, but she knew that asking Derek to watch a chick flick would get a rise out of him

"_The Princess Diaries_? When there's hockey on? Even if it's an old game, no. Absolutely not."

"Well, I want to watch it!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, I've got the clicker. So I get to watch what I want to watch."

"Oh, yeah?" _This is my chance,_ Casey thought. _Besides, I've gotten into one physical fight tonight, why not another one? At least I actually like my opponent this time._ Casey made a grab for the remote control, but missed and fell onto the floor.

Derek, laughing, said, "Nice one, Case. Klutzilla strikes again. I thought we were past those days."

Casey gave Derek a look, sprung up from the floor, and launched herself at him, presumably for the remote control again. Derek held it over his head, but in his efforts to back away from Casey, the movement tipped him over backwards and the entire recliner flipped. Casey, already in motion, flew after him and landed on top on him on the floor.

**A/N: Yep, a cliffhanger. Sorry for this, but I will update again soon!**


	11. Chapter 10: When Time Stood Still

Time slowed down. Derek was stunned into silence as he looked up at Casey. Her breath was hot on his face, and the messy tangle of words coming out of her mouth fell slowly on deaf ears as he took in her natural beauty. They must have been a sight—the old recliner tipped over onto its back, Derek lying on the ground with Casey lying on top of him. They had rolled a little when Casey made contact with him, and they were now in the middle of the floor between the family room and the dining room. _I'm surprised Dad and Nora haven't come upstairs yet, with all the noise we're making._

Derek lay there for a moment drinking her in. He could hear the clock counting out each tortured second, and he willed time to stand still. _I want to stay like this forever. Just like this. _He sighed. _There's no way that could ever happen. She's not interested, and we'll get caught. Oh, and I have a girlfriend. Her best friend. If I made a move, she'd hate me forever. Casey, that is, not Emily. Well, Emily too, but I don't care. Why am I dating her? Right, to forget about Casey. Casey, who is on top of me right now. Mmm … stay …_

He made a half-hearted attempt to get Casey's body under control. She was still swinging and grabbing for the remote control, one feline arm stretching over him, then the other. Her hair swung wildly, and every move she made rocked him and shook him. He mentally catalogued every graceful, feral movement. Finally, though, he had to break the spell. He slid the clicker across the floor and grabbed her delicate wrists in his hands and intoned, "Casey."

"What?" She nearly snarled at him. A light sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she shined in the dim lamplight. Her hair rippled down her back, having come loose during her scramble for the remote, and hung in waves around her twisted, elegant face.

"We have got to be quiet. Dad and Nora are downstairs, and they're not going to be happy if we wake them up. Nora was already pretty angry when you and Vicki came in sopping wet." The memory of Casey shivering in her soaked satin dress shook him to the core, and he took a deep, ragged breath to focus himself again.

"You're right." Derek could feel Casey relax a little. "This is stupid anyway. I had a terrible night and just wanted to watch a girl movie, but you were here first. I'll just leave." Casey made a move to stand up, but Derek, surprised at her sudden acquiescence, still held her by the wrists.

"Case, you don't have to go. You could stay here, with me … if you want." Derek focused his eyes on her, willing her to stay and spend some more time with him. _I can't believe I just said that. She's going to wonder if I've gone mental. I probably have, actually … there's no way this can end well. She's going to see right through me. _

Casey, eyes wide open, relaxed further and said, "OK, I'll stay."

_Did she really just say that? She wants to stay with me … maybe I haven't gone mental. Maybe she wants me too. _Derek, lost in his thoughts, still held her wrists. "Derek, let me go."

"Not yet, Casey." Derek felt his face go hot, and blood rushed through his body. _Oh, I'm really about to do this. I'm going to cross that line. Dad and Nora are going to FREAK. _"Just—" Derek let go of her wrists and slipped his arms around her lithe waist, hugging her tightly.

Casey wrapped her arms around his neck in return, and Derek once again felt the light heat from her body, hotter this time, and her mango shampoo swirling around him. He was lightheaded, dizzy, as if he were on the top of a roller coaster about to take its plunge. Her torso seemed to meld into his, and he was acutely aware of every curve of her body. If he'd had the guts, or the stupidity, he could have run his hands down her hair, her back, her legs, all over. He felt himself responding to her, felt his body flexing and bending into her, and she into him. Like complicated puzzle pieces, he knew, without looking, that they would fit perfectly. He took another tortured breath.

"Case." Derek's voice was husky with emotion. _Only one way to find out if she loves you, D. You can do this! _

"Mmm?" Casey's voice purred hot against his ear. _Ohhhhh … she has no idea what she's doing to me, does she? And really, how can she not tell? She must not be paying attention to the affect she has on me. Mmmm, Casey … so soft …_

"Casey." Derek spoke with a little more force this time_. I want to see your face. I want to see your eyes. I want to see … oh, careful … watch what you're doing, Casey …_ Derek was distracted by the gentle curve of her body against his.

"What?" Casey lifted her head from its hiding place in his neck and looked down into Derek's face. Her visage had relaxed into a comfortable, soft smile, and her loose hair brushed against his chest. She blinked slowly, her long lashes free of mascara, and focused her limpid eyes on his.

Derek was once again speechless. She seemed to pierce him to the core, and he feared that she could, and always could, see though him. "Um …" Derek released his grasp on her and moved one hand gently up to her face, brushing her rosy cheek with the back of his fingers and tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear. _This is it, Venturi. Now or never._

Derek tenderly cupped her face, then moved his hand from her cheek to the backside of her neck. With a light, authoritative pressure, he pulled her toward him. Derek could see Casey's bright blue eyes floating in front of him, and he focused on the soft curve of her lips before shutting his eyes and waiting for them to come to rest on his.


	12. Chapter 11: Wasaga

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger last time ... but it kept you interested, right? I'm really pleased that so many people are reading this story--I've gotten over 3,000 hits in the last week, which is really exciting for me. I hope you enjoy the next installment! Also, if/when you review, let me know how this chapter works--I did a complete rewrite last night because I didn't like where it was going, and I'm not sure how well it flows. Thanks!**

Casey stared out the window during the drive home from Wasaga Beach, completely absorbed in her thoughts. The weekend had been less than stellar, and she couldn't wait to get home. After the precipitous almost-kiss in the family room, Casey had been avoiding Derek as much as possible, with little success. It seemed like he was lurking around every corner, trying to catch her in a moment alone. She didn't really want to avoid him, but she couldn't erase the memory of the strong plains of his body underneath her. Inevitably, she would flush and start babbling nervously, and it had gotten too hard to make excuses for her behavior, both to him and to the rest of the family. Lizzie had already figured out that something was going on between her and Derek, but she hadn't been able to figure out exactly what. Yet.

To further complicate matters, Derek had insisted on joining Casey and Emily in Wasaga. On the ride up, Casey had resigned herself to the backseat, presumably to let Emily and Derek have their couple-time. As Emily chattered away happily about her plans for the weekend, Derek had watched Casey in the rearview mirror; Casey had spent the entire ride concentrated on the passing landscape, willing herself not to make eye contact with her almost-paramour.

The weekend was terrible, as expected. Casey was still trying to avoid Derek and throw Emily off the trail, Derek was trying to find alone time with Casey, and Emily, oblivious to the entire situation, tried to force everyone to hang out and get along. Everyone failed. Casey found herself bumping into Derek at every corner. Derek never found true alone-time with Casey, as she either ran away or Emily joined them. Emily could never seem to get Derek and Casey into the same place. Finally, Casey had taken a book and curled up into a corner of their hotel room, and Derek and Emily had hit the beach, Derek glancing at Casey over his shoulder while Emily dragged him outside.

When the shouting first started, Casey tried to ignore it. She was still trying not to get involved with Derek, and especially with his relationship with Emily. But as the noise grew, so did her curiosity, and she finally had put down the book and gone outside.

"Derek, I know there's another girl! Who is she? And how could you do this to me?" Emily had been screaming at Derek.

Derek never answered her. He didn't confirm her accusation, but he didn't deny it either. His tacit admission had spurned Emily on, and she had continued to yell at him. After a few minutes, she had stormed off, brushed past Casey, who had been standing in the doorway, and threw everyone's belongings into their bags before saying, "We're going. Take me home."

_I still can't believe that I pushed him away,_ Casey mused to herself, still staring out the window. _And I can't believe that he and Emily broke up. I knew it would happen sooner or later, especially because I know that _I_ couldn't have kept this secret from her for too long, but I didn't think it would be this weekend. I'm glad, but I'm a little freaked out about this too. Derek is officially single now, so now what? I've been wanting this for so long! But there's no way that we can let this go anywhere. I mean, the family would freak! I just have to keep avoiding him. I can do this. I have to._

When the Prince pulled up the driveway, Emily got out of the car, slammed the door, and stomped across the yard. She flung a brief, "Casey, I'll talk to you later," over her shoulder before opening her front door. "Oh, and Derek?"

"Um, yeah, Em."

"I never want to speak to you again." SLAM.

George and Nora met Casey and Derek at the door. "What just happened?" Nora asked.

"Oh, um, Emily and I … kinda … broke up over the weekend." Derek scratched the back of his head and motioned with his hands.

"Derek, are you serious?" George asked. "I knew this would never work," he continued. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Dad," Derek replied, "she just wasn't the right girl for me. I mean, I'm going to university next year, and there's going to be women. College women. I need to be free, available … you know how it is."

"Yeah, I do," George began to smirk, then quickly rescinded his next statement when he saw the look of disgust on Nora's face. "I mean, no, I don't. And I hope you at least broke it off with her nicely."

"Derek didn't break up with her, George," Casey interjected, "she broke up with him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go unpack." Casey turned to walk up the stairs.

"Um, yeah, I'm gonna go too." Derek followed Casey and cornered her in the hallway.

"Case, we need to talk."

"No, we don't."

"Yeah, we do. We can't just spend the rest of the summer pretending that nothing happened, and you can't keep avoiding me like this. But we both know that you like me; you made it pretty obvious the other night. I mean, who can blame you? I'm awesome."

"You? Awesome? You're the one that tried to kiss me! That is so not sweet. And the way you and Emily broke up? Also not sweet. What was that about anyway?"

"Casey … do I really have to tell you?"

"Yeah, you do." Casey folded her arms and looked expectantly at Derek.

Derek sighed, "Fine. It was about you. It's always been about you."

Casey felt herself soften a little bit. "Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"But why are you telling me this now?" Casey waited for an answer.

"Because, Case … how would you have really reacted? After all these years of supposedly hating each other, do you think that you would have really accepted a big confession from me? Besides, you know I don't do mushy, sappy, emotional things. I'm more about … action." He winked suggestively.

"Action? OK, you are WAY ahead of yourself there."

"What? You can't tell me that you don't want me too. I could see it in your eyes, Casey … just admit it."

"OK, fine you're right. But do you see why I need to avoid you? This is too weird! Do you have any idea how freaked out Mom and George are going to be if they knew what happened?" _I'm still freaked about what happened. Or almost happened. Whatever._

"Spacey, nothing happened. It just almost happened. Which is why we have to go back to being normal."

"Derek, there is nothing normal about this situation! You know what? I'm going to go. My dad offered me an internship in New York for the summer, and I think I'm going to take it." Casey's mind continued: _I don't want to take it. I don't want to leave. I can't believe all this is happening … did Derek really confess his feelings for me? He has feelings? Whoa … weird. Who knew?_

Derek's voice broke into her thoughts. "Wait, what? No, Casey, you don't have to go anywhere!"

"I think I do. I wasn't going to take the internship, not with my mom expecting, but I think it'll be for the best. Plus, I don't know if I can keep lying to Emily about me being the 'other girl,' so … yeah, I'm just going to take it. It's look good on law school applications, even if it's just working in the mail room."

"Whatever, Casey, you do that." Derek turned to go into his room.

Casey followed suit and slipped back into her own thoughts. _I have to leave. There's no way that I can keep telling Emily that I don't know anything about another girl, even if nothing really happened AND it doesn't really count. But there's no way that I can keep acting normal in this house. I'll miss everyone, but I think they can handle my being gone. Besides, I miss my dad. And Lizzie has a handle on the big sister thing with Marti, so … things will be fine._

"Casey?"

"What, Derek?"

"I'll miss you."

"Yeah, I'll miss you too."

**A/N: Aww, boo, I know, no big Dasey moment. A small spoiler--it WILL happen by the end of story, and it will be beautiful. So keep your pants on and keep reading!**


	13. Chapter 12: The Gift

**A/N: Soo ... not fans of the trip home from Wasaga, huh? I know, it sucks not seeing the Dasey moment, but what kind of writer would I be if I just LET you have the moment only 10,000 words in? This chapter is much longer than the others--I originally had it going a completely different direction, but added in some of the breakup story and Derek's minor obsession with Casey. As a result, it's probably not going to flow very well, and any constructive feedback is welcome. Thanks!**

Derek was lying on his bed, rehashing the last week. In just seven days, he had managed to cause a massive public scene, lose his girlfriend—_not that I'm particularly heartbroken about that one_—and, oh yeah, completely freak out the woman that he had fallen madly in love with and more or less drive her out of the country. With a groan, he rolled over and buried his face in his hands. _What did I do? How did this happen? Nooo … hey …_

"Edwin!" Derek reached down and grabbed his younger brother by the back of his shirt.

"Oh, hey, Derek …" Edwin said.

"What are you doing in here? I thought I told you never to come in here. Get out!"

"Look, man, I know not to come in here, and usually, I'd be gone by now. But something is really wrong with you, and I need to know what's going on. I can help!"

"No, Edwin, you can't help. This is just … no. I don't want to talk about it."

"Derek. Come on. You have to tell someone sometime. Was the weekend with Casey really that bad?"

_Oh, no, that was the _good_ part of the weekend, _Derek reminisced. _I don't plan on ever forgetting my time with her over the weekend … well, the time that I was about to get with her. When I carried her bag into the hotel and she looked at me with those big blue eyes and whispered, "Thank you." When she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a fuzzy robe and her hair pulled off her face. When she dropped the robe and revealed her swimsuit underneath. Every time I tried to see her, smell her, feel her …_ He smiled dopily.

"Derek?" Edwin snapped his fingers in front of his older brother's face. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Alright, Ed, here's what's going on." _The part that I can tell you, anyway. _"Emily and I broke up over the weekend, and it was pretty horrible. Like, a HUGE scene with tears and people watching and everything. And the worst part is that Casey saw the worst part."

"And she hasn't teased you about it yet?"

"Uh, no."

"Edwin asked, "Then why is that important?"

"Never mind. It's not. Anyway, the weekend wasn't going all that great in the first place. I mean, Ed, Wasaga with Emily and _Casey_? Together? No, thank you."

"Then why did you go?" Edwin asked.

"Dude. Girls in swimsuits. My girl in a swimsuit. You do the math." _And he never has to know that my girl is Casey._

"Right … I like your thinking, bro."

"Right." Derek raised his eyebrows. "Anyway. So Emily kept trying to get me and Casey to do stuff with her, and that just wasn't happening. She finally dragged me out to the beach and just keeps on talking and talking and TALKING, so I tell her, 'Hey, Em, can we just be quiet for a minute?' and then she gets mad and pulls a Casey and is all 'Der-EK!' so I'm all, 'Emily, chills, I just want to soak in the beauty of the water.' Unfortunately, this REALLY hot girl runs by right then, and I didn't even mean to look at her, but I did, and then she got really mad." Derek took a breath.

"Whoa. So then what happened?"

"Well, she asked me if I looked at that girl, and I said no, and then she accused me of lying, which I denied, and then she got more mad at me for lying to her again. Then she accused me of cheating on her—"

"Well, have you been?" Edwin asked.

Derek glared at Edwin. "No. And if you want to hear the story, shut up and let me finish."

"OK, sorry. Go on."

"Right. So then Emily accuses me of cheating on her, and she's, like, standing up and screaming at this point, and then Casey walks out just as Emily is screaming, 'Derek, I know there's another girl!' It was just _so bad_." Derek groaned and flopped back down onto the bed.

"Whoa … I'm sorry, bro. So now what?"

Derek's heart skipped a beat. _Now I try to convince Casey to stay. Or I go to Europe … right, which isn't happening. I have no money for that._

"Hey, Casey, Derek? Come on down here!" George yelled up the stairs.

Derek rolled off the bed and turned to Edwin. "OK, Ed, get out."

"Copy that, Derek," and Edwin zoomed out of the room.

Derek exited his room as Casey passed by, and he held back a little to let her pass. Her mango shampoo wafted past him, and as followed her down the stairs, he painfully thought about the night of Sam's party. _One of us definitely has to leave._

"I want you two to sit down," George said when they arrived downstairs.

The teens sat down next to each other on the couch, looking a little nervous. _What could this be about? _ Derek thought._ Casey and I haven't been fighting … Hell, we haven't even been speaking to one another. It's been … downright peaceful in the house. Oh, no, do you think that they know something's up?_

"Casey, Derek," Nora started. "We've been very impressed with how you two have been behaving lately, and we have a surprise for you."

Derek and Casey looked at each other again, confused this time, then back at their parents.

George continued, "Nora and I have been saving for both of your college educations for a long time …"

"… and Casey, with your scholarship, we have much more money put away for you than we actually need."

"Derek, we don't have the same leeway with you, but Nora and I have come to a decision."

"Casey, for you, you can have $500 a month for expenses and spending money from your account, and when you graduate, you can have the remainder, either to put towards graduate school, to invest, or to spend," Nora said.

"Derek, we can offer you the same deal, although you probably won't have as much to spend at the end of university, since most of the savings will have gone towards tuition."

Nora finished, "And for both of you, we've decided to give you $2,000 upfront."

Derek and Casey looked at each other one more time, this time with excitement, before jumping up and hugging George and Nora.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mom!" Casey squealed.

"Yeah, thanks, Dad, this is great!" Derek said. _Whoa … this is huge! If only they knew the real reason why Casey and I have been so quiet lately …. _

"Now, kids," George continued, "it's up to you to spend or save this money how you want. Keep in mind that you are responsible for paying for your books, fees, and extracurriculars at university; Nora and I will pay for tuition, room, and board. This $2,000 should help with everything before your monthly stipends kick in."

"Or it can pay for a trip to Europe!" Derek shouted.

"And mine can pay for New York!" Casey shrieked.

"What?!" George and Nora exclaimed together.

"Mom, George, I want to go to New York for the summer. Dad offered me an internship at his law firm, and I want to take it. It's going to look so good on law school applications when I finish university, and Mom, I really miss Dad."

"And guys, really, when am I going to have a chance to go to Europe again?" Derek asked. _I hope they buy this_. "I start university in the fall, and after that, it's on to some career or playing hockey or something, and I'll be too tied down to work in order to travel. I mean, Dad, don't you wish that you could just take off to Europe?"

"Well," George said wistfully, "yeah … but I have a family to take care of."

"See? I don't. So I think I should use my money to go abroad for a few months." Derek looked from George to Nora, and back to George. _I really hope they go for this. I don't think I could stand being in London for the whole summer without Casey. _

"Well, Derek, Casey," Nora said, "if that's how you want to use your money …"

"Oh, I do, Mom!" Casey interjected. _She would, _Derek thought bitterly. _Why can't she just come to Europe with me? No one would know that we're steps, and we could spend a whole summer goofing off together! Oh, man, I'm going to miss her._

"Well, it's your decision, kids," George said, "but no coming back and asking us for money. This is it."

"Don't worry, Dad, we won't, right, Case?" Derek threw his left arm around Casey and gave it a squeeze.

"Um, Derek, did you just hug Casey?" George asked incredulously.

"Uh … no," Derek said defensively, removing his arm from around Casey. "Me? Hug Casey? You lie." _Shoot, that was a stupid move. Keep it together, D, before they figure out that something's up._

George and Nora looked at each other with confusion on their faces. "Well, OK …" George said.

"Well, kids, if you're going to be going places this summer, we should probably look into plane tickets, huh?" Nora said bravely.

"Yeah, right … so, can I go to my room and do that?" Derek asked. _I have to get out of here before I do anything else ridiculous._

"Sure, Derek. Go ahead," George said. Derek stood up and started up the stairs.

"May I please go too?" Casey asked. "I really want to make sure I get a good seat on the airplane, and I really don't want to fly into JFK. I hear that it's a really depressing airport, and I do NOT want to start my internship off depressed."

"Um, OK, Casey," Nora said.

"Thanks!" Casey said, and bounded up the stairs.

When she made it to the top of the staircase, Derek grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his room. "What, Derek?" Casey asked.

"I just wanted to know how soon you were going to leave."

"Well, Dad said that the internship starts on June 15th, and I want to be there at least a week early to get settled in, so, I don't know, maybe the 7th or 8th?"

"Yeah … I think I'll leave then too. Hey, you should come to Europe with me!" Derek looked at Casey expectantly.

"Please, Derek, if I went with you, then George and my mom would definitely know something is up. They think that we can barely live in the same house without tearing each other apart, and do you really think that they would believe that we would willingly spend an entire summer together on another continent?"

"Uh, no," Derek said. "Guess not."

"Right. So you go to Europe and I'll go to New York, and we'll just see each other when we get back." Casey turned to go to her room.

Derek watched her walk away and flopped down onto his bed. _Come on, man, how could you let this happen to you? How did she manage to get so far under your skin in such a short time? I mean, I guess it happened a long time ago, but it's just so … intense now. Dude, what if she meets someone else in New York over the summer? Ohhh … I can't handle that._

With that disturbing thought, Derek got up, went to his desk, took out a sheet of paper, and began to write.

**A/N: Now, I know the guidelines say no "choose your own adventure" stories ... this isn't going to turn into one. The question, though, is do you want to know what happens between the two of them over the summer, or would you rather just skip to university and the climactic game between the two of them? Thoughts welcome ...**


	14. Chapter 13: Leaving on a Jet Plane

**A/N: Taking into consideration some of the feedback I've gotten, the next few chapters are going to focus on the summer. Not too long--we want to get to university and finally see that CRAZY GAME! Enjoy!  
**

Casey stepped off the airplane at Newark Airport, hair neatly tucked into a French twist and carry-on neatly tucked into a pink rolling suitcase. She was meandering down the jetway, dragging her feet and glancing coyly at the man that had sat next to her on the plane. With his hair askew and his backpack spilling over, he strolled alongside of her, gently bumping into her with every other step. The two of them were barely talking, just enjoying the last few minutes of airport romance before they took off for their respective final destinations.

Exiting the jetway, Casey looked out over the concourse and scanned the airport for signs to baggage claim. This was her first time flying into Newark, and the high glass ceilings and expansive hallways were a little intimidating. She looked to her left, hoping that her companion would take charge, but he looked as clueless as she did. Finally, she saw the little yellow suitcase indicating the location of baggage claim, and it appeared as if he found the directions to his connecting flight.

"Well, Casey, I guess this is it."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Can I at least call you?"

"Do you think that's really such a good idea?" Casey asked.

"Well, no … how about email?"

"Um … "

"Got it!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "I'll give you my blog address."

"YOU have a blog?"

"Uh, yeah! How else am I going to keep people updated on my many travels? See, I know I'm not really going to have time to send email or write letters or anything, so I just figured that I'd update a blog while I'm gone, and then maybe I can keep it up later when I get back." He stopped for a second and seemed to think. "Actually, I might not keep it up when I get back. Too much work."

"Um, OK," Casey said, "that sounds good. And here's my mailing address in New York, in case you do decide that you have time to drop a letter in the mail."

"Thanks." He tucked the scrap of paper that Casey handed him into the pocket of his jeans. "Well, this is really it, huh?" They had reached the end of the concourse.

"Yep, it sure is. Have a good summer, Derek."

"You too, Casey." Derek reached over and enveloped her in a hug before planting a cautious kiss on top of her head. "Say hi to Dennis for me."

As Casey turned to go to baggage claim, she felt a terrible wrenching in her chest, like her heart had torn free and plummeted straight through her stomach. She stopped and turned around, but Derek was already loping through the airport, sandwich in one hand. _I can't believe that we ended up on the same flight!_ Casey thought. _It's like we planned it. Who would have thought that we would have booked the same flight on the same day with the same connections? I mean, yeah, I'm staying here, but at least we had some time on the plane to just enjoy each other, no questions asked and no judging eyes. And the gate attendants were so sweet to switch our seat assignments for us. I can't believe that they bought our story. Oh, well, everyone's a sucker for a romantic story. And what's more romantic than two teenagers meeting in an airport and falling in love in the terminal? It's like straight out of a movie!_ Casey smiled dreamily and gave a happy little sigh.

"Hey, kiddo, that must be some daydream you're having." Dennis McDonald materialized at baggage claim and reached out to hug his older daughter. "Come give me a hug!"

"Dad!" Casey ran into his arms and gave him a big squeeze.

"It's been too long, Case. I've missed you. So, what was going on in that brilliant mind of yours just now?"

"Oh, nothing," Casey said, blushing. "I was just thinking about … something."

"Something or someone?" Dennis asked, winking.

"Oh, um …" Casey trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Definitely someone. Someone who wrote a … URL on your hand?"

"Oh, that," Casey laughed nervously. "That's just his … blog … address."

"Oh, a writer. Got it. And there is someone. Does your mother know him?"

_Better than you think,_ Casey thought. _ Ooh, this is so weird! I wonder how long I can keep this from Dad?_ "Um, not really, Dad. Can we just drop it? Please?"

"OK, honey. Hey, I made reservations for us for tonight. Nobu. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Yeah, Dad, sounds good. I'm just a little tired from the flight now, and I'd like to go freshen up."

"We have some time before dinner, so let's go home and you can relax. I have some work to take care of anyway." Dennis picked up Casey's suitcase, retrieved from the carrousel during their conversation, and started out towards the car.

"Excellent." Casey followed Dennis out to the parking lot.

Once in the car, Dennis turned on a classic rock station and hummed to himself. Casey, welcoming the chance to think, looked out the window at the passing scenery. Like on the drive home from Wasaga, her mind was spinning with recent events, and she was trying her hardest to get her thoughts in order. _I have to pull it together before Dad starts asking questions_, Casey mused. _Oh, what the hell? A girl can daydream, right? _

Casey removed her jacket and folded it neatly on top of her lap. As she was smoothing the lapels down, she felt a small square tucked into the inner breast pocket. _Hmm, that's weird, I usually empty my pockets before hanging anything._ Casey reached in and took out the paper, and when she recognized the handwriting, her breath hitched in her chest. _Derek. He must have slipped it in on the plane or something._ She unfolded the letter and began to read:

[Dear Casey—

Well, we're really not going to see each other over the summer, are we? You're really going to New York to work in some fancy law firm, and I'm really going to bum around in Europe. It's not too late to join me, you know. I'm sure your dad wouldn't be too upset if you told him that you were going to spend a couple of months in Europe with

a good-looking guy … never mind. He would hate that. But you can still come.

Anyway, Case, do me a favor: don't meet anyone else. Please. I meant what I said about missing you, and it'll really suck if you come back to London with some big, beefy American guy. I know you were right about not being able to be around each other this summer—Dad and Nora would have found out and flipped—but it doesn't mean that I want to lose you to someone else.

Pretend I'm not being a sap and just … don't forget about me. We'll figure something out in August.

Until then,

Derek]

"Casey, what are you reading?" Dennis' voice broke into the silence.

"Oh, uh, this? It's … it's nothing," Casey stammered, refolding it and sticking it back into her coat pocket. _Did Derek really write me that letter? I can't believe this. He's really as into me as I am into him. Oh, duh, Casey, you know that. But … how am I going to survive the summer?_


	15. Chapter 14: Rock The Boat

**A/N: I don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to feel like certain parts are dragging a little bit. Thoughts? Enjoy!**

Derek's plane landed in London, England, and jolted him awake. He had been traveling for 14 hours and was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. _I'm so glad that me and Casey had some time together before we left, _Derek thought,_ and I still don't think she knows that I booked the same flight as she did. She really should hide her password a little better. And maybe change it every once in a while. You don't think she still hates me … ?_

Even though the best-priced ticket would have taken Derek from London, ON, to London, UK, via Detroit and Amsterdam, had he chosen to pay a little more to connect in Newark and spend as much time as possible with Casey. It was money well-spent—she had finally seemed to relax enough to just enjoy being around him. She didn't check over her shoulder and try to shrug him off when he put his arm around her. They just were. _And it was wonderful. I'm going to miss her so much … and she would be helpful right now. I have no idea where I'm going. _

Derek examined the signs in Heathrow, scanning them for directions to the London Underground. Sam had told him that the Tube went all the way out to the airport, and he was right—the Piccadilly Line ran right up to Terminal 4. When Derek discovered this, he grabbed his pack, strapped it on, and made his way into central London.

He exited the Tube at Russell Square, looking for a hostel. He didn't really plan his trip with hotel or hostel reservations, but Casey had given him some information on London to help him prepare. They did this in plain sight in the house—Casey helping him out of a jam with practical information was actually a normal occurrence in the McDonald-Venturi household, and George and Nora seemed pleased that the two of them were getting along so well before they left. _I know they thought we were getting along because we were both leaving. If only they knew the truth …_

Lost in his thoughts, Derek meandered down Tavistock Place, searching for a place to stay. A small neon sign caught his eye, and he peeked into the window of St. Athans Hotel. _Hmm, this looks like a nice place … whoa._ A little further down the road, Derek saw a gigantic blue sign, beckoning him to keep going. _ Generator? I wonder what that's all about._

Derek set off down the road, determined this time, and walked up the steep steps into the hostel. _This is it. This is where I'm staying while I'm here. Way to go, Case! _The cool interior surrounded him, and there were massive groups of young adults swirling about him: some were coming in from all-nighters on the club scene, some were parked in the dining area, eating breakfast and chatting over tea. Many were bedheaded and disheveled, but everyone looked satisfied in some way, shape, or form.

"Hello, can I help?" A fresh-faced guy behind the reception counter asked Derek.

"Uh, yeah. Do you have any beds available?"

"We do. Are you looking for a private room or dormitory?"

"Uh, whatever you got." Derek shrugged.

"And how long are you staying?"

"Four nights."

"One mo," the guy said, click-clacking on the computer. "Alrighty then. We have a bed in an 8-person dormitory. You will get a bed, linens, a continental breakfast, and a place to hang your bag. Will that do?"

"Sure." Derek pulled out his wallet. "How much?"

"We require payment for the first night upfront, and then we will settle additional nights upon checkout. So, 15 pounds now, and 45 pounds on Friday morning."

Derek pulled out two ten-pound notes and handed them to the clerk. The clerk took them, made change, and fussed around with keys, paperwork, and linens. "Alright, sir. Here is your change, your key, and your contract. Please sign on this line."

Derek signed the contract, affirming that he planned to leave on Friday and that he was responsible for any damage to his bed and slid it back to the clerk. "Is that it?"

"Here are your linens. Oh, right." The clerk reached under the desk. "And here is your drink ticket?"

"My what?" Derek asked, surprised.

"Your drink ticket. You're entitled to a free beverage in our bar when you're ready. We begin serving at 11 in the morning."

"Sweet!" Derek was genuinely surprised.

"Do you mind me asking? Are you American or Canadian?"

"I'm Canadian," Derek answered.

"Excellent. Welcome to the United Kingdom."

"Thanks!" Derek grabbed his gear, keys, linens, a copy of the contract, and the ever-important drink ticket and headed to his dormitory. It was small and a little cramped, with bunkbeds lining one long wall and a row of lockers lining the other. A small window peeked out over the street, and Derek thought, _Hey, this'll do._ He claimed the only empty bed in the room, the top bunk closest to the door, and tossed his bag into the remaining locker. _Now, time for some sleep._ He laid down and closed his eyes.

Derek woke up from his nap, refreshed and alone in the room. The seven other people inhabiting the place when he arrived were gone, and it looked like they had taken their belongings with them. He was, for the first time in years, alone. _Wow, this is … creepy. I wish Casey were here. I wonder what she's doing?_ Shaking his head, Derek got up, got changed, and went out to explore London. He had promised George that he would take in some of the culture while he was abroad, so walked a few blocks until he saw a stop for a Hop On/Hop Off double-decker bus. After paying the 10-pound fee (_What? That's dinner for two nights!_), he hopped on and took in the tourist sights—Big Ben (snap), Parliament (snap), Westminster Abbey (snap), the London Eye (snap), and London West End.

_There, Dad should like these_, Derek thought. _I'll try to send these from the hostel later tonight. For now, it's time to go out._

Derek returned to the hostel, showered, changed, and introduced himself to his new roommates. They were a mixed group of Americans down from the Fens—what those were, he had yet to figure out—and were in town for a huge boat party on the Thames.

"Man, what are you doing tonight?" one of the guys asked him.

"I don't know yet," Derek answered. "I was going to try to find a pub or bar or something … I dunno, just check out the city."

"You should come with us tonight," said one of the girls. "Rock the Boat is going to be HUGE."

"Rock the Boat?"

"The party we're going to. These guys that we work with run it—they rented a boat and hired someone to spin for the night. All the drinks are included with your ticket … you should come!" The girl was looked brazenly at Derek. _Whoa ... that's a little uncomfortable. But I should go, I have nothing better to do, except think about Casey. Come on, I'm in London, I should be having fun!_

"OK, I'm in. How much are the tickets?"


	16. Chapter 15: Casey's Date

**A/N: Well, there's been some really interesting speculation going on ... I like it! Please, keep it up--you may just change the course of the story! If you do, I'll definitely put in a shoutout. No changes tonight--this remains as is. I hope you enjoy!**

*********

**July 4, 2009**

**Hofbrauhaus, Baby!**

Hey, everybody, I'm in Munich now, just chillin. Germany is my last country on the list (unless you count Scotland), and so far, it's been pretty sweet. I spent last night hangin' at the Hofbrauhaus drinking a liter of Munich's finest. No mineral water for this guy—I'm all about the "culture." So I'm gonna go have brat and take in some sights, but I wanted to let everyone know that I'm fine—no, I'm awesome—and I'm loving it here. Peace.

**Posted by D-Vent 10:09am**

**0 Comments**

Casey put down her mineral water and smiled sadly. She had been in New York for almost a month now, and working at the law firm wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She was, as she predicted, working in the mail room, although she did get to fill in for her father's legal secretary when she wasn't around. Which was fairly often. Casey heaved a big sigh and shut the browser window. She followed Derek's adventures through Europe religiously, and every time he made it to a new location, it made her more sad and lonely than before. _Here is he, having this big adventure, and I'm stuck in New York. Alone. Working in a mail room._

Living with her father wasn't bad, but he wasn't really around. He was dating several women, none of whom knew about each other—or his kids, for that matter, until Casey showed up—and trying to juggle his personal life kept him pretty busy. Casey was left to her own devices most of the time, and instead of going out, she was contented to stay home and reread Derek's blog entries and the letters he sent.

Oh, he sent letters. And postcards. And the occasional picture or small gift. So far, she had received something from every locale he had visited—London, Paris, Nice, San Remo, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Venice. So far, Cinque Terre was her favorite—Derek had taken a series of pictures of the architectural landscape from the beach, and made them into a short time-lapse video. The result was a quick shot at a day in the small Italian tourist area, and it was beautiful, masterful. Casey still hadn't figured out how Derek had managed to make the video—he didn't really have the time or equipment. But somehow, he did. And he did it for her.

"Casey." Her father knocked on her door. "Are you ready to go?" Seeing as it was America's Independence Day and Casey had never been to the U.S., her dad was taking her to Tavern on the Green in Central Park for a picnic before going on the Circle Line Fireworks Cruise. Although Casey was indifferent about celebrating the independence of a country that wasn't hers, she was pretty excited that her dad had cleared his entire schedule to spend time with her. He didn't invite any of his girlfriends; it was simply a night for some father-daughter bonding, and she was immensely grateful.

"Sure, Dad, coming," Casey answered, grabbing a light jacket and logging out of the computer.

"Were you reading that boy's blog again, Casey?" Dennis asked when she emerged.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered, blushing a little.

"Oh, come on, sweetie, I've caught you reading and rereading his entries at work, not to mention the fact that you never go out without watching that video that he sent you. I have to admit, I'm impressed with it, but you really need to get out there and do something, Casey. Live a little. Maybe even go out and meet people."

"Um … no, I'm OK. I've been enjoying my time here."

"Really? What have you done?"

Luckily, Casey really had been doing some things when her dad wasn't looking: "I've been to the Museum of Modern Art, I've gone to two Broadway plays, I went to the ballet last week, and just yesterday, I stopped to watch a street performer."

"OK, that's great, honey, but there's more to New York than just the arts experience. There's also the nightlife, the restaurants, the clubs … not that I really want you venturing into those places yourself. Which is why you need to make friends with someone. Anyone. Like maybe some of the other interns? Or summer associates?"

"Dad, they're not really my type." Casey was starting to get annoyed by her dad's pushiness, and she really just wanted to leave for Central Park.

"Why not?" Dennis persisted.

"They're just not." _Because none of them are Derek. _"Can we please just drop it?"

"OK, Casey. But if you don't start enjoying the present, I'm worried that it will pass you by, and you'll regret it."

"I'll be fine, Dad, promise."

There was then a knock at the front door, and Casey moved to open it. She found herself face-to-face with a rugged man with a square jaw that could have been carved by Michelangelo himself. His blonde hair was neatly cropped, and his piercing blue eyes gleamed out of his perfect face. "Um, John, what are you doing here?" Casey recognized the Adonis from her father's law firm; he was one of the summer associates hired from Columbia Law.

"Hi, Casey. Dennis told me that he had an extra ticket to Tavern on the Green tonight and asked me if I wanted to go. Are you going?"

"Yes, she is," Dennis interjected, "and I'm not. So you two go have fun!"

"Dad, can I speak with you a minute?" Casey's whispered voice was infused with anger. "John, will you please excuse us for a minute?"

"Um, sure …" John answered hesitantly as Casey dragged her father to the living area.

"Dad, WHAT are you doing?" Casey hissed.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Casey. You have been obsessed with that guy in Europe for the last month, and I'm sick of you moping around the apartment, constantly checking the computer, and lurking around the mailbox waiting for letters. This is the summer before university, and you need to get out and do something. So go. Now. I made other plans."

With a huff, Casey spun on her heel and joined John in the foyer. She spat out, "John, let's go," and grabbed her jacket. John followed, confused, looking at Dennis for a silent explanation. "Come on!"

Dennis shouted after them, "Stay out late, Casey!"

"Argh!" came the tortured reply.

Casey stomped down the street with John trailing her. _Ugh, I can't believe my dad! Setting me up on a blind date AND canceling on me? I don't even want to go to this stupid thing, and now I have to make small talk all night! That bastard! I can't stand him. I can't believe I came here. I should have gone to Europe with Derek. At least we would have had fun together._

"Um, Casey?" John asked with trepidation.

"WHAT?" Casey snarled, whipping around.

"I get the impression that you really don't want to be here … with me. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"No, it's fine, let's just go to this stupid picnic and on this stupid cruise and get this stupid date over with." Casey was dangerously close to tears, and she willed herself not to cry in front of this virtual stranger.

"OK, no, Casey, I don't want to go anywhere with you if you don't want to go. Let's just go somewhere else. We can talk. Or, you can talk and I'll listen."

Casey sniffed, holding back tears. "OK. You pick the place."

John hailed a cab and gave an address in Chelsea and held the door open for Casey. She gratefully got in and slid across the bench to the far corner of the taxi. They rode in silence for a few minutes, until John finally spoke: "So, Casey, what's really going on? Dennis all but begged me to come tonight, saying it was for his daughter. I thought you had it pretty together … so what gives?"

"Um, can we wait until we get to wherever we're going?"

"Sure," John answered, "but we're here." Sure enough, the taxi had stopped in front of a charming brick building overlooking the water.

"Um, where's here?"

"My apartment, Casey. I thought that you might want somewhere private to have a meltdown, since that seems like what's coming."

"Oh." Casey was suddenly really nervous. She had never been in an apartment alone with a man, and he was so much older than her. And good-looking. REALLY good-looking. _He must get so many women … and exactly what he wants from them too. Uh uh, not me, I'm not that kind of girl. Oh my gosh, you don't think he's going to try to take advantage of me, do you? Oh, he has got another think coming if he thinks this is where this is going. Hmmph._

"It's a nice place, Casey, and you can see New Jersey from my apartment. Not that anyone really wants to see New Jersey, but my partner and I like to watch the bridge and tunnel crowd on the weekends from the terrace.

_Partner? Does that mean … oh. Wow. _Casey started laughing with relief, realizing the HUGE mistake that Dennis made._ Scratch the whole "he must get lots of WOMEN" thing! _ "I'm looking forward to it," Casey said cheerily, exiting the cab and linking her arm through John's. "Lead on!"


	17. Chapter 16: John Goes to London

**A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback so far, everyone! I really appreciate it, and I think it's making me a better writer. Just so you know, the comedian, Jamie Kilstein, really does exist and you can find some of his stuff on YouTube. He regularly performs at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, so if you get a chance, go check out his work. He can be pretty offensive and vulgar, though, so be warned. Actually, his stuff probably isn't appropriate for anyone under the age of 16 ... just saying. You've been warned. :-)  
**

[Casey,

I'm in my last city, Edinburgh. My trip has been amazing, but this is my favorite stop of all. Edinburgh has got a sweet nightlife, and the club scene here? SO hot. Seriously, I wish I'd remembered my video camera, because there are so many cool buildings here, and they'd make great sets. I went to the castle (Dad would be proud) and have this great picture of me with one of the cannons. I've included the picture, so you can see what I've been doing. I also included a picture from this Frankenstein club. You think that would be weird, right, having a club in a converted dungeon? It's not, really.

I was doing some research … yeah, I know, ME do research … but I really was … OK, I was looking at shot glasses, whatevs. Anyway, I found your name, McDonald, in this list of Scottish names. I found your family crest and your clan tartan, which I thought was really cool. I picked up a little present for you, so expect it when I get back.

Anyway, I've got tickets to this festival, the Fringe Festival, and I hear there's this great comedian there. His name is Jamie Kilstein—he's American, so you may not have heard of him, but he's hilarious. We'll watch him on YouTube when I get home.

See you soon,

Derek]

Derek looked at the letter and sighed before folding it, sealing it, addressing it, and affixing a stamp. _Dude, there's no way Casey will get this letter before I get back. We'll both be back in four days. _Derek's heart skipped a beat. _Four days!_ After being on the road for almost two months, Derek was looking forward to finally going home, being in his own bed, and being surrounded by the warmth—and craziness—of his family. But mostly, he was looking forward to seeing Casey again.

_I can't believe that I've made it this long without her, _Derek thought. _I wonder what she's really been doing all summer. Not being able to talk to her everyday is driving me crazy! I still wish that she'd come with me. We would have had a great time. _With another heavy sigh, Derek tossed his backpack into yet another flimsy locker in yet another crowded hostel and headed out the door.

The next four days were a blur: Fringe Festival, hostel, bus, train, hostel, customs, and, finally, plane. He arrived into London, Ontario, after a 12-hour flight from London, England, and he was happy to just be home. To see his family. To see his Casey.

And then there was Casey, in the flesh. She was standing at a baggage claim terminal, scrolling through her cell phone and completely ignoring the world around her. She looked gorgeous, but tired, and a little older. She had matured over the summer. When she left, she was a girl, and she was now, clearly, a woman.

_Oh, there's Casey._ Derek felt his heart skip a beat. Leaving didn't work—he was still in love with her, now more than ever. In that moment, seeing her again, he knew that he could never forget her, could never get over her. She was in his life, for better or for worse, forever. _I should go say hi … or just surprise her. _With an impish grin, Derek silently sped through the terminal, racing up behind Casey and, gathering her into his arms, picked her up and spun her around.

Kicking, Casey screamed, "Put me down, freak! I have mace!"

Derek dropped Casey, broke into a grin, and said, "Hey, Spacey, what's going on?"

When she heard his voice, Casey's face lit up and transformed into a genuine smile. "Derek! You're here!" She threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, and Derek took in her signature scent of mango and vanilla. "I—" she stopped short. _No, Casey, go on, I want to hear what you have to say._

"You what, you missed me?" Derek smirked.

"Well …" Casey released him and looked down at the ground. "Yeah." She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, glancing through lowered lashes and looking very girlish and shy. Derek could feel his heart melting. This woman, and only this woman, could make him go soft like this. _Wow, not even Sally had this effect on me … dude, was she home for the summer?_ He shook his head to clear the errant thought.

"Oh, don't get sappy on me, Casey. I know you had a great time in New York. How was your summer?

"It was … good. Working at my dad's firm was really a good experience, and New York is a great city. There's so much to do! The ballet, the museums, the plays … oh, and here's John."

_John?!_ Derek's heart plummeted. _She found someone. I knew she would. Oh … and look at him._ Derek wanted to vomit when he saw the man accompanying Casey. _Oh … she really found a beefy American. And she brought him home. Oh … this is bad. Very bad. Oh …_

"Derek? Are you going to say something?' Casey was looking at him, concerned.

"So you're the stepbrother. It's nice to finally meet you,' John said, extending his hand to Derek.

"Oh, um … you too." Derek placed his hand in John's, giving it a halfhearted shake before dropping it. "So, uh … why are you here?"

"Oh, Casey invited me to come meet her family before she left for university. She's thinking about Columbia for law school, and since I go there, George thought it would be nice if I came for a visit and told them all about it in person."

"Oh, so George invited you." _That sonofa … I'm going to kill him. I can't believe my own father would do this to me … oh, wait. He has no idea. And he never will. GOD, can we just make this GO AWAY?!_

"Yeah, he did. Oh, that must be him now!" John motioned to the couple rushing towards them.

"Derek! Casey!" George and Nora hurried towards the trio, arms outstretched. "We missed you!" Nora enveloped Casey in a warm embrace—Casey taking care not to jostle her mother's gently protruding belly—and George gripped Derek's hand and gave it a shake before pulling him in for a quick man-hug. The parents then switched, George giving his stepdaughter a side hug and Nora smooching her stepson on the cheek.

"And you must be John," Nora gushed, embracing him. "We've heard so much about you, and we're so happy to have you visiting with us!"

"Yes, John, it's nice to finally meet you. So, how was the law firm?" George asked.

"Oh, it's been quite the experience, although I didn't really enjoy it until I met Casey." Casey smiled at John as he answered.

_Oh, I bet you didn't, you jerk. You come in here, charming everyone, taking my girl, being a lawyer … I hate you._

"Oh, how sweet is that?" Nora looked ready to cry. "Come on, come on, let's get you three packed up!"

"So, Derek, tell us all about Europe!" George turned to his eldest son.

"It was fine. Can we just go now?" Derek growled through gritted teeth.

"That's it? Just 'fine'?" You've been gone for months!"

"Yeah. Fine. Did you read my blog?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

Derek interrupted George: "Then you got the details. Let's go." He grabbed his pack and stormed off.

As he was stomping through the airport, he could hear his dad's "Geez, what got into him?" floating behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Casey and John with their heads together, obviously embracing some private joke. _That jackass. He comes to my country to take my woman … oh, it is ON._

**A/N: Yes, by "it," I mean the crazy game is coming within the next 3-4 chapters. Keep reading!**


	18. Chapter 17: The Long Ride Home

**A/N: You guys are great! I loved seeing the reviews, and I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying the story! Keep reading!**

Casey giggled and whispered into John's ear, "Do you think he thinks we're together?"

"Oh, Casey, isn't that obvious?" John asked. "Honey, you may have crossed a line bringing me here. I'm no expert on male-female relationships, but he clearly has the hots for you, and you are just torturing him!"

Casey sighed, "I know, but I really did want you to meet my family. You were such a help that last month in New York, and you said yourself that you've never been to Canada. Besides, you needed to take a vacation before you start your third year, and you had some time, and I'm glad you're here. Courtney will be fine while you're gone, promise."

"Mmm, I hope you're right, girlfriend," John said, following Casey down the concourse. "About all of it."

"Trust me, I am," Casey said.

The five of them got into the family car, George and Nora in the front and John, Casey, and Derek in the back. Derek squashed himself into the corner as far as he could, while Casey rode in the middle between him and John. John had his arm thrown across her shoulders and she was leaning into him. _I know this is torturing Derek, but I don't think he knows how much it's torturing me too. What, he couldn't pick up a phone and call me sometime over the summer? Does he have any idea how much I missed him? And how much restraint it took not to give him a big kiss when be picked me up in the airport? HA … knowing us, that would have been the exact moment that George and my mom would have decided to walk up, and it would have all been over but the shouting. _Casey shuddered.

"Are you OK, Casey?" John asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, I just had an errant thought."

"So, John, did you decide how long you were going to stay?" Nora asked.

"Only 4 days, ma'am. I can't be away for too long, but Casey talked so much about home and her family that I really couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit when she asked me to come to London. Besides, it's a very New York thing to just up and go to London. No one has to know that it's Canada, you know what I'm saying?"

"Haha, yes, I do. Well, we're really glad that you're here. What do you have planned?"

"I think we're going to Toronto for a night, and then Casey just wanted to introduce me to her friends and show me her town."

"Oh, that sounds like fun," George said. "Derek, do you plan on joining them?"

"Me? Hang out with Casey and some lame lawyer from America? Noooo, thank you. I'm going to spend my last few days with Sam and Ralph and rubbing in how sweet Europe was. I'll see enough of Casey when university starts. Or not."

"Derek, you don't have to be rude about it … I just think you should spend some time with our guest," George chided.

"Not happening, Dad. Drop it." Derek folded his arms and looked out the window.

"No, it's fine, Derek," John inserted, "I came here to spend some time with Casey anyway. She's told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you."

George and Nora started laughing. "Oh, she did, did she?" Nora asked. "Well, then, I guess we don't have to explain their relationship to you, do we?"

Casey felt herself blush furiously, and willed herself to stop. John had become her confidant about everything Derek-related after they blew off Independence Day. She also told him that it was an absolute, top-secret secret—if George and her mom found out about any of this, how she felt, how he felt, the almost-kiss, anything, both she and Derek would probably be disowned.

John laughed heartily and replied, "No, ma'am, you sure don't. Casey's told me everything." He then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Um, Casey, do George and Nora know about any of this you-and-Derek thing yet?"

"No! And they better not! That would be terrible! I have a week until university starts, and if we can keep this secret from them for seven days, then it'll all be fine. Fine, I tell you!"

"OK, Casey, honey, calm down, you're starting to get all red and sweaty. Although I can see why—he is a DOLL."

"I know, right? A really angry doll right now, though. Do you really think I went too far this time?"

John replied, "Casey, you are going to have to figure that one out on your own. I'm just here for moral support. And I wanted to see what happened once you finally stopped being a girl and took him as a WOMAN. Mm-hmm, I love the drama!"

"Hey, Casey, Johnny, can you two stop with the whispering? It's starting to make it all foggy back here … not that it's the first backseat that you've fogged up." Derek's words had a barbed edge, and Casey felt the sting of his statement. She recoiled slightly, giving him a dirty look.

"That's enough, Derek," George said. "Besides, we're home. Everybody out." He threw the car into park, popped the trunk, and got out.

Derek jumped out of the car and grabbed his backpack, dumping Casey's and John's smart leather suitcases onto the pavement.

"De-REK!" Casey shouted. "Look what you did!"

"Whatever, Casey, Johnny-boy can carry your bags for you," he tossed over his shoulder, slamming the door on his way into the house. George and Nora, exasperated, followed him in.

"Wow, Casey, I think you really hurt the poor boy's feeling," John said. "Does he always act like this when he's trying to hide his emotions?"

"Sadly, yes," Casey answered, picking up her bag and setting it upright. "You should be prepared to be iced out this week. Oh, and if he feels threatened by you, which it looks like he does, then you should also be prepared for some macho-man competition at some point."

"Well, you know how I am with wanna-be macho-men," John answered with a smirk, "but I'll go easy on him. Maybe even let him win?"

"Actually, John, it might be fun to play with him for a little bit. A couple of days, three at the most. Oh, wait until he finds out that you're staying in my room! Come on!" Casey grabbed John's arm and hustled him inside.


	19. Chapter 18: Derek's Plan

Derek stormed up to him room, completely blowing off Marti, Edwin, and Lizzie, and threw his bag onto the floor of his bedroom. _How could she do this to me?_ Derek screamed internally. _I change my flight, I send her LETTERS, I make her a video, and I do NOT hook up the entire time I'm abroad, and she comes back with some built-up, muscular Ken doll! Casey, Casey … WHY? Ugh, I should have gotten with that American girl in London when I had the chance! She was … well, easy. Or she would have been._

Derek heard a knock on his door. Before he could shout out, "Go away!" Marti was in his room and hovering at the doorway. "Derek? Why are you so mad?" she asked.

"Aww, Smarti, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just come give me a special Smarti smug." Marti ran and jumped into Derek's arms as he enveloped her in a big embrace.

When she pulled away, Marti looked up at her favorite brother and asked, "Derek? Do you not like Casey's new friend?"

_Darn, she's good_, Derek thought. _I can't get anything past her._ "No, Marti, I don't_."_

"Why not?"

"I just don't, Marti. He's too … I dunno … my exact opposite. Accomplished. And if Dad thinks that I can be like him, whoa. I just don't want him getting any ideas about what I should do with my life."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem, Smerek. I think Daddy already has an idea what you're going to do with your life."

"And what's that, Smarti?"

"You're going to goof off and ask Casey to help you out of your messes."

"Smarti!"

"Um, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. It's just that … well, you always ask her for help. It's like you can't live without her."

_She has no idea how right she is,_ Derek thought. _I can't live without her, but I guess I'm going to have to learn if that overstuffed ox is going to be in her life from now on. _

"Derek?"

"Yeah, Smarti."

"Don't worry about John. He won't get in your way. Bye!" She jumped off the bed and scampered out of the room.

_I sure hope she's right._

Derek spent the next three hours locked in his room, barking at anyone that dared to knock on his door. Edwin bravely—and stupidly—opened the door without knocking, and immediately received a pillow to the head. Eventually the family just left him alone. _They must wonder what's going on, _Derek thought. _I mean, I'm not the type to throw a fit like this. Hey, I'm not the type to throw a fit like this! I should, I dunno, DO something. To Johnny. Johnny. Casey. Ugh._

Derek threw up his hands and shouted, "AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" at the top of his lungs.

"Um, Derek?" George's voice floated up the stairs. "Is everything OK up there?"

"I'm fine , Dad."

"OK … well, we're going out to dinner. Do you want to join us?"

"No, thanks, Dad. I'm just gonna go hang with Sam and Ralph."

"OK, Derek, have fun. Don't be out too late."

"Later, Dad."

Derek walked over to his desk, picked up the phone, and called Sam. The phone rang several times, and finally, Sam picked up.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Sammy! It's Derek. I'm back!"

"Yo, D! We missed you this summer! How was it?"

"It was SWEET. I went all over, staying in some pretty happening places, and OH, the honeys I met … MMM! Awesome!"

Sam laughed, "I bet they were. I can't wait to hear about it. Did you take pictures?"

"Tons. And some video too." Derek felt his heart sink a little, thinking about the video he made Casey in Cinque Terre. He had literally camped out overnight so that he could capture the town at sunrise. And after spending almost an entire day in one place, he had tried to track down a place that had the video editing equipment. He wasn't successful until he arrived in Venice—he happened upon two American girls with a laptop. After a short, charming conversation in which he revealed that he HAD to make this video for the love of his life, he had struck a deal with them—he could use the computer to sit and work if he would stay in the train station with all of their stuff so that they could go exploring for a few more hours. He had readily agreed, and spent the next four hours putting together the video for Casey. It still left him with the problem of how to get it to her—he didn't have a DVD. Again, luck had been with him—one of the girls had an envelope, and after he addressed it to Casey in New York, they had offered to burn the video onto a DVD and send it to her, as long as they were allowed to make copies for themselves. Derek had again readily agreed—he had been willing to do almost anything in order to get that video to Casey. _And now look where it got me, _Derek thought bitterly, _she still ended up with some beefy American guy._

"Uh, hello, Derek?" Sam's voice was tinny thought the receiver.

"What?" Derek snapped back to reality and realized that Sam had been talking during his momentary lapse into memory.

"Did you hear anything I said?" Sam asked.

"No, sorry, man, I zoned out. What's up?"

"I'm going over to Ralph's to hang out. Wanna come?"

"That would be excellent, Sam. Casey brought home this lame-ass lawyer from New York, and I need to get out of the house."

"Wait, Casey brought home a lawyer?"

"Law student, really, but what's the difference? He's here with Casey, and he's in my way."

"An intruder in your kingdom, eh? But D, why does it matter who Casey brought home?"

"Uh … " Derek paused for a moment. _Crap. There I go again, not watching what I'm saying. _"That's right. My dad is just so obviously impressed by this guy, and I don't want him getting ideas right before I leave for university."

"Good call, man. Hey, maybe we should prank him. I mean, if he came home with Casey, there's obviously something going between them, right?"

"Right …" Derek said into the phone. _Where is Sam going with this?_

"And you prank all of your family members, right?"

"Right …"

"So if he's going to be part of the family, you better make sure that he can handle it."

Derek's heart sank. _Sam's right. He's here with Casey, and he's obviously going to be part of the family in some way. She wouldn't just bring home some random guy, would she? Oh, well, better put on the act for Sam. _He answered, "Right! Oh, this is going to be SWEET, Sam! I'm on my way. See you at Ralph's. Later."

**A/N: And just what are the guys up to? You'll see ... keep reading and reviewing, folks, you're making my day!**


	20. Chapter 19: Casey's Plan

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! You all have made some interesting points, and there are some that may just have to be explored in future fics. In the meantime, enjoy the third-to-last chapter of _Crazy Game_ ... it's been great writing it, and I'm looking forward to writing more!**

Casey heard Derek pound down the stairs and out the front door. _Wow, I must have really made him mad, _she thought. _Serves him right for making me suffer all summer. For not calling me. For being such a jerk since we've been home. This'll learn him._

"So, John," Casey said, turning to her companion, "how are we going to make Derek suffer?"

"Casey, honey, are you sure this is a good idea?" John asked. "I mean, you **do** love this boy, right?"

"Well, yeah, but he deserves this for being such a big baby. And for making me suffer all summer." Casey was staring to get huffy, the way she always did when she wasn't entirely sure of her actions.

"Casey, I don't think he intentionally wanted you to suffer. You, on the other hand, are trying to make him upset. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll be part of the drama, but don't blame me if it blows up in your face."

"I won't, trust me," Casey said, smirking. "Now, let's plan."

John and Casey spent the next few hours scheming. They finally decided, after careful consideration, that the easiest way to get under Derek's skin would be to act like a couple. It probably wouldn't fly by George and Nora—they were well aware of John's romantic situation back in New York, which is why they even gave Casey permission to have John stay in her room. John clearly wasn't going to cause any damage to Casey's honor.

When Derek arrived home, Casey and John were strategically placed on the couch in front of the TV and watching _Love, Actually_. Casey had a box of tissues in her lap, and she was draped over John in a very girlfriend-ish manner. She caught Derek glaring at them out of the corner of her eye, and when he slammed the door, she raised her head.

"Could you please keep it down?" she demanded. "This is the part where Mark tells Juliet that he's in love with her."

"Oh, Johnny, she has you watching sappy foreign films already? Wow, you must be a 'real man.'" Derek made air quotes before removing his jacket.

"It's actually really good, Derek," John said, turning his head toward him. "You should join us."

"Me? Watch girl movies. No, thanks. I'm going to bed. Later, losers."

As Derek stomped up the stairs, Casey looked back at him a little wistfully. _This is so mean. I don't know if I can do this! But you know what, if I don't, everyone is going to figure out that something is going on, something strange, and then we'll all be under the microscope for the next few days. That's it, it's for the good of the family. Yeah, _Casey rationalized silently. Having convinced herself that she was really being a good family member and not some manipulative harpy, she snuggled into John and went back to enjoying the movie.

Over the next few days, Casey made sure to flaunt her "relationship" with John in front of Derek at every opportunity: holding hands at breakfast, feeding him tidbits at lunch, playing footsie—and "accidentally" rubbing Derek's leg instead—at dinner. They routinely left the house to go some fun event, giggling like schoolchildren breaking free for recess. She knew she was going over the top a little, but she viewed her actions with a tinge of schadenfreude; it was a little entertaining to see Derek pout.

After two days of this blatant demonstration, Nora pulled Casey aside into the family room: "Casey, what's going on between you and John? I thought he was … you know …"

"In a relationship? Oh, he is, Mom," Casey answered. "We're just trying to bug Derek."

"Casey, honey, now WHY would you do that? Go intentionally out of your way to bother him? What's going on?"

"Mom, he's just being such a big baby about my having a friend in the house. It's like, I can't have a little fun and excitement in my life without him trying to ruin it. So, we just thought that we'd have some fun with him." As Casey spoke, she could hear the flimsiness of her explanation. _Geez, I hope Mom buys this, 'cause I'm not,_ she thought. _This is ridiculous, even for Derek and me. Childish. Fun, but childish. And ridiculous. _

"And John decided to go along with this?" Nora asked.

"Uh huh."

"And Derek has no idea about Courtney?"

"Nope."

"Casey, this is ludicrous. I know that you and Derek don't exactly get along, but do you really feel the need to torture him like this?"

"Uh, Mom? After all the stuff that he's pulled on me over the years? Yeah, I do," Casey answered.

"But what about all the times that he's helped you out? Gosh, I thought I a summer apart would help you two appreciate each other a little more, but I guess George and I were wrong. How are you two going to survive at university? I swear, I hope you live on completely opposite sides of campus, if this is how you choose to behave." Nora threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Mom, we're just having a little fun with him. We'll stop tomorrow, promise," Casey said.

"Casey, this needs to stop now. He's your brother, and you two need to finally start acting like siblings."

"Fine, Mom, it stops now," Casey huffed.

"Good." Nora turned and went into the kitchen. Casey flopped down onto the couch and sighed loudly. _Of course she would play the sibling card, _Casey thought miserably. _As far as she and George are concerned, we ARE siblings. Nothing going on there … and I swore to myself that I would get over it. So why can't I just get over it? Do I really have to taunt him like this, just to have some sort of interaction with him? Around my family, yes. If it were just the two of us …_ Casey's mind drifted into a delicious daydream, one in which she and Derek weren't stepsiblings, one in which they were free to choose their relationship instead of having it chosen for them. With a happy sigh, she snuggled into the couch, a goofy smile spreading across her face.

"Whatcha dreaming about, Princess?"

Casey snapped out of her reverie at the sound of Derek's voice. "Nothing, Derek."

"Thinking about Johnny-boy, eh? Where is he, anyway?"

"He's taking a shower, something you might consider doing every once in a while." Casey mentally slapped herself for being so rude to Derek, but she knew that her mom was still in earshot, and she would expect a barbed conversation between the two of them.

"Haha, so funny, Case. ANYWAY. The guys and I are doing a little poker night at Ralph's tonight, and I wanted to ask ol' Johnny to join us. If he's going to be around, I better get used to him, right?"

"Uh, right," Casey answered with trepidation in her voice. "I'll see if he wants to go."

"Sweet. I'm leaving at 8:00pm. Tell him not to be late if he wants a ride. Oh, and the buy-in is $50."

"Um, OK,' Casey answered. _What is Derek up to? That's not normal. Hmm. I better warn John._


	21. Chapter 20: When Pranks Go Wrong

**A/N: So ... Derek's up to something, eh? I'm so glad to see the interest in his devious mind! It also worries me a little ... LOL. Enjoy this chapter, leave me a little note, and don't forget to wish your moms a Happy Mother's Day!**

Derek went up the stairs and silently congratulated himself. _THIS should teach Johnny not to mess with the Venturi men and their women. HA. _Derek had enlisted Edwin a few days prior to help him prank John, and the plan was set in motion for that night. While Derek and John were over at Ralph's playing poker, Edwin was supposed to sneak into Casey's room, get all of John's stuff, and strategically arrange all of it on the roof. They were heavily banking on the fact that George and Nora were going to be out of the house, and luckily, they were right: George and Nora had a dinner party at George's boss's house that night. To further their luck, Lizzie had plans to go to a friend's house for a sleepover and Marti was at her mom's house for a few days. It was just John and the teenagers, a situation ripe for pranking.

Just before 8:00pm, Derek shut down his computer, went downstairs, and grabbed his jacket. John and Casey were sitting on the couch, snuggling, and he groaned internally. _I hope that I didn't just waste my day … studying. _Derek shuddered. John was expecting a real poker game, and since neither Sam, nor Ralph, nor Derek really played poker, Derek had spent the entire day learning about the game in order to fool John. He figured that he had learned enough to make the game last a few hours, maybe even take some of John's money.

"We're going," Derek said, shrugging his jacket onto his lean frame.

"OK, John, have fun with the guys tonight," Casey singsonged, kissing John on the cheek.

"Thanks, baby, I will." John turned to Derek. "Do you mind if we stop at a liquor store along the way? I want to pick up some bourbon for tonight."

"Uh, Johnny? No can drinky. We're only 18."

"No, YOU can't drink. I, on the other hand, am 24, and I'd like to get some bourbon for tonight. Can we stop or not?"

"Fine, whatevs. There's a Lick-Bo on the way." Derek made a move for the front door. _Who is this guy trying to impress? Casey?! No way … the Casey I know swore she'd wait until she was 19 to have a drink, and I don't see that changing now. Unless … she DID change over the summer! What did this guy DO to her? I swear, I'll kill 'im with my bare hands if he so much as touched a single hair of hers …_ Derek grimaced.

"Don't wait up for us, Casey, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night." John planted a kiss on her cheek and got up from the couch.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm just going to sit here and enjoy the relative quiet of the evening." Casey grabbed her book off the coffee table and snuggled into the couch. "G'night, boys!"

Derek opened the front door and was greeted by Sam and Ralph looking at him nervously. "Sam! Ralph! What are you guys doing here?"

"My grandma and her friends are playing bridge tonight at the house. I totally forgot," Ralph said. "Can we play here? I brought the poker chips."

"Uh … " Derek looked around. "Sure. Everyone's out tonight, so we have the place to ourselves. Oh, except for Casey. And Ed."

"Hi, Casey," Ralph said with a smile.

"Yeah, hi, Casey," Sam echoed. "How was New York?"

"Oh, it was wonderful," Casey said, "especially since I met John." Derek gagged a little as she oozed in John's general direction.

"Oh, right, you must be John. I'm Sam." Sam extended his hand past Derek and introduced himself to John.

"Hi, Sam, it's nice to meet you." John grabbed Sam's hand, giving it a firm shake. "And you are … ?" John asked Ralph.

"I'm Ralph. When are you going back to America?"

Derek laughed nervously. _Why am I even friends with Ralph? _he thought. _He's such a screw-up sometimes! _"RALPH. Come in. We'll get set up on the dining room table. Casey can go be lame somewhere else."

"I am not _lame_, Derek," Casey said, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "I am just … comfortable. Besides, you guys were supposed to be going out!"

"And now we're not," Derek said. "So you can either go upstairs and be Lamey McBookerson, or you can get out."

"You can't kick me out of my own house!" Casey spat.

"Uh, I think I just did." Derek's mind was in overdrive. _Shoot, this wasn't supposed to happen! There's no way we're going to be able to prank Johnny while he's in the house. And Casey won't stay down here and listen to us just play. Unless … _"Unless you want to get your $50 and buy-in."

"You know what? I will," Casey said, spinning on her heel towards the staircase.

"Uh, Casey, Derek?" John asked, "can one of you take me to the liquor store? I'm serious, I don't gamble unless I have my boys Jack or Johnny with me."

"I'll take you. Come on," Casey said.

Casey and John left the house, and Sam and Ralph descended on Derek.

"Derek," Sam said, "I'm so sorry, man, I know this wasn't the plan. What are we going to do now?"

"Sam, chills. We're just going to have to play some poker and completely humiliate Johnny by taking all his cash. Don't worry about Casey: she doesn't know how to play poker, and she can't lie to save her life. Just focus on completely destroying Johnny, and it's all good."

"Uh, Derek?" Ralph asked. "Why are you so focused on kicking this guy's ass?"

Derek sighed. _Again, Ralph, with the dumb questions and statements. Something we really wouldn't be worried about if he remembered that his grandmother was playing bridge tonight. _"Because he's on my turf, and I want him off."

"This has nothing to do with Casey?" Ralph persisted.

"No. Absolutely not. Casey. Pssh," Derek said, flushing slightly. _Please let them either be dense enough to not notice or smart enough to leave this alone._

Either way, neither Sam nor Ralph pursued the issue. They just got the deck and the chips set up and waited somewhat impatiently for John and Casey to return.

They didn't have to wait long—Casey and John came skipping in about 20 minutes later, a brown paper bag in John's left hand and Casey's intertwined in his right. _My God, man, is nothing sacred? You have my girl and liquor, two things I can't have. That's it, I'm taking ALL your money._

"Hurry up, guys, we want to get started." Derek grabbed the cards and started dealing.

"Uh uh, Derek, what do you think you're doing?" John asked.

"I'm dealing? It's what you do with cards?"

"I don't think so. Casey's warned me about you; those cards were probably rigged. Let me shuffle and deal this first hand." John took his seat at the table and unwrapped a bottle of Canadian Club. "Casey, honey, will you please grab me a tumbler with some ice?"

"Sure, John, be right back." Casey glided out of the dining room and into the kitchen. _Did you see how he just spoke to her? _Derek exclaimed silently. _And she just took it? It's like … I don't know. She's so … accommodating. And feminine. And … she must really be in love with him to act like that. The Casey I know would have told him to go do it himself.._ Out of the corner of his eye, Derek watched Casey come back into the dining room with a glass of ice and place it in front of John. _What I wouldn't give for that._


	22. Chapter 21: Poker? I Don't Even Know Her

**A/N: Aww, here it is--the last chapter! I really enjoyed writing this, and I may add onto it at a later date (probably in sequel form). I'd like to thank all of you for being such fantastic reviewers and readers; your input really helped me shape the story and make it more readable. Look for future fics ... sometime. And ENJOY THE DASEY!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LwD or O.A.R.'s "Crazy Game of Poker." Unfortunately.  
**

Casey sat down at the table next to John and across from Derek. She caught him giving her a soft, sad little look, and he looked so lost that she felt her resolve disappearing. _We really did take it too far,_ she thought. _I just wanted to make him hurt a little, but that looks like a lot of pain. Did I blow it? Oh, my gosh, what did I do? Ugh! Well, too late now … at least I won't have to worry about being in love with him anymore, 'cause it's obviously not going anywhere._ With a sigh, Casey turned her attention to the game. "So, what are we playing?"

John answered, "Five-card draw. Do you know the rules?"

"Uh, not really," Casey answered, a little embarrassed. _Did I really think I could play? Just one more way to embarrass myself in front of Derek …_

"Don't worry, I'll walk you through it," John said comfortingly, patting her hand.

The game started. Everyone anted up and picked up their cards. Round after round, bet after bet, play continued, until John's bottle was half emptied and the clock read half past 3am. Finally, Sam threw down his cards.

"D, I have to go home. I'm exhausted. And I'm tapped." Sam had lost nearly $200 in the game, mostly to John, who was swaying slightly and grinning like an idiot. It had been a good night for him.

"Yeah, me too, Derek," Ralph said. "I'm supposed to go to brunch with my grandma tomorrow, and she'll be really mad if I can't stay awake."

"Oh, but guys, this is just starting to get good!" Derek's hair was ruffled frantically, and he spoke with sleep-deprived delirium. "You can't quit now!"

"Sorry, D, I have to go," Sam said, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. "Later, man."

"Yeah, sorry, Derek. If you want to keep playing, you can keep the chips," Ralph said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Yeah, fine," Derek muttered, staring at his hand.

"I'm OK with it," Casey said brightly. She was, amazingly, up by almost $50 and had thoroughly enjoyed herself during the evening. Derek glowered at her.

"I'm in too," he growled.

"Me too, kids," John said with a slight slur. "I'm having a GREAT time!"

"Fine. My deal." Derek snatched the deck from Casey and began shuffling. He dealt the cards with a sense of purpose, as if snapping them on the table would give him an edge. _He's so angry, _Casey thought. _Look at him. Oh, well,, if you can't take the heat, get out of the fire. _Casey grinned.

"John, you open. What's the bet?" Derek asked.

"Mmmmm … I think I'll bet $5, handsome." John giggled and tossed in a chip.

"Uh … OK. Casey?"

"I'll call," she said, throwing in her chips.

"Me too," Derek said, throwing in his chips. "John, how many?"

"One, good-lookin'," John answered, still giggling.

Casey started giggling as Derek dealt John a card. _Oh, wow, I should be mad at him for blowing my cover, but this hitting on Derek thing? Classic. TOO funny. I'm so busted …_

"Uh, Casey?" Derek asked.

"Three, please," she said, laughing harder as John started hiccupping.

"What is wrong with you two?" Derek asked angrily, dealing Casey three cards.

"Nothing!" they shrieked at the same time, and dissolved into further laughter.

Derek muttered something incomprehensible and dealt himself two cards. "John. Bet."

"Oh, honey, I'm going to bet $10 that you can't beat me!" John said, tossing in a handful of chips. "Off. Casey, you go!"

Still laughing, Casey said, "I'll see your $10 and raise you $5! Beat that, Derek!"

"OK, fine. I'm all in," Derek said with menace.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, Derek," John said, throwing his cards down. "I fold! Mmm, you're handsome when you're angry!"

"I'm … what? John, what is WRONG with you?" Derek exclaimed, slapping his hands on the table. "It's like you're … GAY or something!"

That did it. Casey and John were laughing so hard that tears were running down their cheeks and they were gasping for air. They were holding onto each other and shaking. After several minutes of this display with Derek shouting obscenities at them, Casey finally calmed down enough to say, "But Derek, he IS gay!" before collapsing into laughter all over again.

Derek's obscenities, having subsided, started up all over again. He ranted for a minute or two before he shouted, "You mean to tell me that you've been parading around this place with this beefed-up American just to _piss me off_?!" Flecks of spittle were forming at the corners of Derek's mouth, and he reached up wipe them away with the back of his hand.

"Yep! Oh, you should have seen your face! Oh, it was priceless!" Casey laughed.

"You think this is funny, Casey? Do you? You have no idea how miserable I was this summer without you! How I spent every single day wishing that you were with me! That I clung to the memory of that ridiculous airplane ride during my entire two frakkin' months in Europe because I knew, I KNEW, that I would get to see you again! I thought you felt the same way, but obviously, I was wrong. I was SO wrong. Damn it, I was going to wait until university to give this to you—well, I was going to give it to you in the airport—no, whatever. You can have it now. It doesn't mean anything anymore anyway." Derek stormed over to the hiding spot in the seat under the window and threw it open in anger. When he retrieved his item, he shoved it roughly at Casey. "Here."

Casey looked down at the object in her hands. In them she held a box containing a beautiful piece of workmanship: the McDonald coat of arms, hand-carved into a slab of alder wood and stained a rich mahogany. The coat of arms was nestled into a swathe of fabric. _The McDonald tartan. He did this for me. I'm an idiot._ Tears filled her eyes and she gently traced the crest with a forefinger. She gently placed the box on the table and lifted the carving out of the fabric; a hand-written note, folded into tiny squares, fell out and landed on the floor.

"I found an little shop in Edinburgh that made these," Derek said gruffly. "I thought you might like it." He turned away. "I guess I was wrong."

"No, Derek, I love it!" Casey said, spinning him around and tears spilling down her cheeks. "And I missed you too! I was miserable without you! You can ask John." John nodded, sipping his bourbon. "The only reason we became friends was because he and his partner, Courtney, were patient enough to listen to me blather on about you all summer. I swear, if I hadn't met them, I might have gone off in the deep end." Casey took a deep breath and looked up at Derek, eyes shining.

"So …" Derek scratched the back of his head. "You really missed me?"

"Yes, I did," Casey said, breath hitching in her chest. _Oh, please, oh, please, oh, PLEASE let this be the moment! _

"How much?"

"This much." Casey lifted her face to Derek's and gently brushed her lips against his. A shiver ran through her body, and she pulled away, asking, "Believe me now?"

"Not quite. Tell me again," Derek said, smirking.

"Fine." Casey once again lifted her face to Derek's. As she moved in, she kept her eyes focused on his face. His shaggy hair, still disheveled, hung into his eyes, bright with excitement and emotion. Derek met her halfway and cupped her face in his hands, the calluses on his fingers roughly guiding her to him. He urgently, possessively pressed his moistened lips to hers, moving his hands from her face to behind her neck. Her hands were all over his face, his neck, his back; she was running her fingernails under his shirt. He slid his hands from her neck through her hair, down her back, and to her hips; he pulled her close to him, matching their pelvic bones and running his hands over her backside. He dragged one strong hand along her hips and hooked a finger into the waistband of her jeans. _Ohhhh … yes … _Casey groaned internally.

Gasping for air, Derek broke free and grabbed Casey's hand. Remembering where they were, Casey glanced over at John, red-faced and panting. Casey and Derek both had slightly crazed looks in their eyes, and Casey was tacitly asking John's permission to leave him alone in her room for the night. _I have other plans now … finally, I have other plans with Derek!_

John, sitting back swirled his bourbon and grinned knowingly. "Well, THAT," he said jovially, "was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw."


End file.
